Bechloe One Shots
by BlackLightning1212
Summary: A collection of Bechloe one shots based on songs.
1. Drunk Me - Mitchell Tenpenny

**Drunk Me - Mitchell Tenpenny**

 _I've been sober_

 _'Cause there ain't no hangover like you_

 _Baby can you come over_

 _I always find those words at the bottom of a hundred proof_

 _Girl, every time you do_

 _I just end up, head all messed up like the sheets where we made love_

 _I've been sober since you broke my heart in two_

 _'Cause drunk me can't get over you_

* * *

Beca stared at the bottle of Jack Daniels Single Barrel Whiskey in front of her, willing hands to stay at her sides. Getting it out of the liquor cabinet and placing it on the counter was bad enough, knowing what would happen if she opened it for that first drink.

It all started with the whispered confession those years ago in a tent at Aubrey's crazy, bear-trap infested retreat. Beca could still hear the words in her mind as clearly as if Chloe was breathing them into her ear.

* * *

"You know, one of my biggest regrets is that I didn't do enough experimenting in college."

It took exactly three days, one Treble party, the liquid courage from an ungodly number of jello shots, and about five rounds of beer pong for Beca to act on the feelings she'd been suppressing for four years. They'd stumbled into Chloe's room laughing about something that probably wouldn't have been nearly as funny sober, and before Beca could stop herself she tugged the redhead flush against her and connected their lips. Chloe didn't hesitate to return the kiss and Beca quickly lost control, reveling in living out the fantasy that had played over and over in her mind, only to find out reality was so much better.

She'd woken up to red hair splayed messily across her pillow and Chloe's blue eyes twinkling at her, taking a moment to summon up the courage to confess her feelings. Chloe didn't allow her the chance though, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before hopping out of bed to pull on some clothes, tossing a, "That was fun... want to get some breakfast?" over her shoulder as she went to brush her teeth. Beca recalled covering her face with her hands when Chloe was out of sight, vowing to never do it again before answering in the affirmative hoping the forced, overly cheerful reply wasn't as horrible as it sounded.

* * *

The next time was in Copenhagen after their winning performance, the whole group partying into the early hours of the morning at a club. Beca clearly remembered the culprit being tequila and the impressive set from the DJ, Chloe always able to persuade her to dance with her stupid puppy face and stupidly blue eyes and stupidly gorgeous face. It was impossible to say no when Chloe was looking at her like that, pausing to down the two shots in front of her on the bar before letting the redhead tug her away.

The music was good and it was borderline sinful the way Chloe moved on the dance floor, with Beca half expecting any number of the guys eyeing them to throw her a lifeline and steal the redhead away for a dance. Chloe only had eyes for her though, at least Beca was pretty sure that was the case since Chloe was pressed flush against her back for most of the night, her hands wandering scandalously over the brunette's hips and thighs. Even Stacie had shot her a look with an eyebrow raised, before leaning in to shout in her ear, "You guys are fucking hot!" Chloe had heard of course, her laugh ringing back in Beca's ear, and Beca assumed they exchanged a look from the way Stacie winked at a spot slightly over her shoulder.

Chloe was the initiator this time, ignoring the whistles and cat calls from the rest of the Bellas when she led Beca into her hotel room, the brunette drunk enough to avoid blushing from embarrassment and instead kept her focus on the way Chloe pushed her up against the door the second it closed.

This time Beca woke up alone to rumpled sheets with a pounding headache, and though she did appreciate the aspirin and glass of water Chloe left on her nightstand, it didn't stop the ache in her heart that formed when the redhead greeted her with a hug and wink, before proceeding with the day laughing off the teasing and jokes from the rest of the Bellas as if the previous night wasn't a big deal. Beca did the same, but something about the way Stacie was eyeing her made her think she wasn't as convincing as she hoped.

* * *

The pattern continued when she moved to New York with Amy, Chloe joining them in their shoebox of an apartment after getting a job as a veterinary assistant at a nearby clinic to complete her prerequisite hours for her vet school applications. It was a bittersweet feeling when Beca discovered she'd be sharing the pullout couch with her best friend, like flying so close to the sun but ultimately getting burned each time. Drinks would inevitably turn into a hookup, but only on the nights Amy would mysteriously disappear, their only clue to her whereabouts usually being a text telling them not to look for her, followed by casual mornings filled with flirty banter. For a while Beca wondered if this was how they'd eventually end up together, until Chloe announced she had a date and told them with a wink not to wait up. The relationship didn't last, to Beca's relief, but the dates also didn't stop and made her heart sink each time the redhead didn't make it home at night.

The USO Tour was like a breath of fresh air for her, and Beca felt an overwhelming sense of relief that she could put some distance between herself and Chloe with her own hotel room. Chloe was thrilled at getting to spend so much time with Aubrey again, and Beca was thankful it made their separation less noticeable, though she still caught Chloe's eyes on her throughout their time traveling Europe.

The one thing Beca wasn't prepared for was the feeling of being punched in the gut every time Chloe flirted with that one army idiot... who names their kid after a fucking city anyways? At least in New York she didn't have to see Chloe with someone else, and having it flaunted right in front of her was decidedly the worst thing ever. She accepted the fact that she was jealous and kept it to herself that Chicago looked like the biggest, most boring tool on the planet, which should have earned her some equivalent of a medal. To make matters worse, Theo kept coming up to her at the actual worst moments, wondering if he actually thought his flirting was effective when all she could see when she looked at his face was a turtle.

After that final performance, Beca felt the incredible rush of adrenaline prompting her to do something incredibly stupid, like confess her feelings to Chloe. She rounded the corner just in time to see Chloe strut up to Chicago and pull him into a kiss, this time actually feeling the breath get sucked out of her. Of course Theo showed up beside her with some comment she did not want to hear, forcing her eyes away from the love of her life to look at his turtle face and give a retort before walking away.

They all went out to celebrate and against her better judgement Beca decided the only way to make it through the night was drunk off her ass. She ultimately ended up stumbling toward Chloe's door at about two in the morning, just in time to see Chicago follow her inside the room. A hand suddenly landed on her shoulder, and Beca whirled around with fists raised to see Aubrey wearing an expression of pity before raising an eyebrow at her stance.

"What are you doing here?" Beca asked, lowering her hands when Aubrey's pointed look made her realize how stupid she looked.

"What are you doing here?" Aubrey repeated, her gaze softening.

Beca glanced around, finally answering, "I'm lost... and drunk..."

"Stacie told me."

"Stacie doesn't know shit," Beca mumbled, turning away from the blonde.

Aubrey reached out again and grabbed her arm. "Beca... I know. I'm sorry."

Beca felt hot tears pool behind her eyes. "It's fine. It's nothing."

Aubrey pulled her into a hug and the dam broke, tears flooding out before Beca could stop them. It was possibly her worst nightmare, crying from a broken heart all over Aubrey, who she didn't hate but also still wasn't her choice of people to break down to... or on. Beca spent the night in the Aubrey's room, letting the blonde be an unexpected source of comfort before making her swear they would never speak of it again.

* * *

Chloe stayed behind at the base for a few weeks before she started vet school and Beca made sure she relocated to LA before the redhead returned to New York, unable to face her or the heartache that had taken up permanent residence in her chest. Her situation was impossible. To make matters worse, Beca found out that the Chloe had accepted admission into vet school in LA and was thrilled to discover she'd be so close to the brunette. The redhead had kept it from her because she was so upset at the thought of being across the country from her best friend.

Bittersweet was the only word to accurately describe her situation. The move to the west coast broke up Chloe and soldier boy Chicago, but Beca still found herself unable to confess her true feelings for the redhead. Alcohol didn't help, finding herself staring at Chloe's phone number on her iPhone screen after only a drink or two, trying and failing talking herself out of pressing it even if it was only to hear the redhead's voice. Their conversations were so predictable, Chloe instantly able to hear the sorrow in her voice and Beca never able to stop herself from inviting the girl over, despite knowing how the evening would end. Staying sober proved to be just as hard, without the alcohol to distract her from the hurt Beca felt just as miserable.

Her one true savior ended up being Stacie, who relocated to LA to be with Aubrey and raise little Bella as a family. Beca wasn't surprised at the news, having made the connection early on that the wild brunette was hot for their uptight captain and figured if anyone could put up with Aubrey it'd be Stacie. Beca spent more nights than she cared to admit crashing on their couch after insisting that Stacie confiscate her phone until morning when she was sober and thinking clearly.

* * *

The door to her apartment opening jarred Beca out of her thoughts, turning away from the bottle of whiskey to see Stacie walk around the corner and assess the situation.

"Bec..." The taller brunette trailed off, her eyes flickering back and forth between Beca's and the Jack Daniels on the counter top.

"I know." Beca's reply was terse. "So you know then?"

Stacie nodded, her expression even. "Yeah. She asked Aubrey to be her maid of honor last week. Bec, I'm so..."

Beca cut her off, "Don't, Stace... I'm... I'm fine."

"Clearly. What are you doing with that, then? You know when you drink you end up calling her."

Beca narrowed her eyes at the Jack Daniels label, clenching her hands into fists before coming to a decision. It had been an unhealthy relationship... friendship... for so long, yet the finality of ending that part of it was physically painful. Beca knew it was the right thing, at some point she had to move on... and apparently that point was right now. She took a deep breath, before silently picking up the bottle and returned it to the cabinet, firmly closing the door.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know whatcha think!**


	2. Sleep Without You - Brett Young

**A/N: I didn't intro these fics real well, but music is one of my favorite things every and it wasn't really a surprise that music was one of the main motivations for me to start writing in the first place. Once I get a song stuck in my head it's hard to let it go, so these little one shots seemed to be the perfect way to clear my head and get a blank slate after IDY & IPY. **

**Hope you enjoy them!**

* * *

 **Sleep Without You - Brett Young**

 _As long as the night ends with you in a yellow cab shootin' me a text sayin' "comin' home soon"_

 _As long as I can bet on ya crawlin' into bed after slippin' out ya high heel shoes_

 _I ain't lyin' sayin' have a good time_

 _Out with your girls, girl do what you do_

 _No matter how late, baby I'll be stayin' up_

 _I can't sleep without you_

* * *

Beca felt her phone vibrate in her pocket as she leant back and stretched her arms over her head, eyes widening as they caught the clock on the opposite wall from the soundproof booth. She'd lost track of time again working on the latest track, pulling her phone out to see a text from Chloe.

 _Chloe [10:32pm]: Going out with a few girls from work! Love ya!_

Beca smiled quickly typing out a reply.

 _Beca [10:34pm]: Have a good time. Love you too!_

Yawning, Beca saved her progress on the track and packed up her stuff for the night. It was a short walk to their downtown LA apartment, one that Chloe was often cursing as Beca dashed back to the studio in the middle of the night or really whenever inspiration struck. Her thoughts wandered tonight as she strolled down the street, ranging from the current album she was working on producing to if Chloe had left her anything to eat for dinner.

Beca unlocked the door to their apartment, rounding the corner to the kitchen to see a plate wrapped in foil with a sticky note on top.

 _Even genius music producers need to eat! Love you baby!_

Beca grinned, feeling her heart flutter before rolling her eyes at herself. A lot had changed since she'd met Chloe freshman year of college, nothing more than her reputation for being a badass chick who kept everyone at arm's length. Chloe had burst into her shower and demanded Beca sing her lady jam, their relationship inevitable from that point on despite Beca doing her best to push the redhead away. It didn't work, thankfully, and led to Beca's current favorite memory of them kissing after winning the ICCA's.

The distinction of her current favorite memory was important, as Chloe was constantly surprising her and forcing Beca out of her comfort zone and creating new memories almost daily. The previous weekend Chloe dragged her to a wine and design class and she discovered she wasn't half bad with a paintbrush, while the time the redhead insisted she face her fear of haunted houses ended up with Beca punching one of the actors in the face and the pair of them being escorted from the premises and asked not to return.

Because of Chloe, Beca ended up staying in college and graduating, the two of them sharing an apartment while the redhead got her doctorate in three years in Higher Education Administration. After graduation they moved out to LA, Chloe accepting a teaching position in a nearby private school when Beca was offered a permanent producer gig with Residual Heat.

Beca hesitantly eased the foil off the plate and sighed in happiness at the sight of leftover Chinese food. She loved Chloe with all her heart, but the woman could burn water and after the first small fire Beca insisted on doing the cooking. She popped the plate in the microwave and turned on some music, balling up the foil and shooting it basketball-style into the trash can. She could almost hear Chloe's voice teasing her about her athletic inability, shaking it off as the microwave beeped. Beca grabbed a beer out of the fridge, along with the plate of food, and headed toward the couch and her beloved PS4.

* * *

A few hours later, Beca leaned back into the cushions and turned off the console. Glancing at the time on her phone, she stood up and brought her dishes back into the kitchen before pouring herself a small drink. Carrying the glass to their small balcony, Beca felt restless as she looked out over the city. She sipped on the whiskey, checking her phone again hoping for a message from Chloe.

"Ugh, when did you get so soft, Mitchell?" Beca murmured, draining the rest of the glass and heading back inside to deposit it in the sink.

Beca knew exactly what she was doing, and the best or worst part was she didn't care. It had been a long time since she'd gone to bed alone, and something inside her was procrastinating the act now, despite how exhausted she was from the long day. It was pushing two in the morning, but Beca dragged her feet all the way to their bedroom hoping to hear the front door open.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Chloe, or even that she wished she was out with her. Beca didn't mind Chloe's colleagues from school, finding them to be relatively friendly and supportive since Chloe's recent promotion to Assistant Principal. She was really happy that her girlfriend had made some new friends after their move to the west coast, knowing she missed the Bellas, Aubrey in particular. Beca wasn't used to feeling this needy... this connected to another person to the point where she literally didn't want to go to sleep without her.

"Sack up," Beca muttered again to herself, walking into their bedroom to get changed into her pajamas.

After putting on the oversized shirt she stole from Chloe, Beca hooked her phone up to the charger and set it on her nightstand before heading into the bathroom. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she slid into the cold sheets and checked her phone once more. Nothing. Sighing, Beca rolled over and closed her eyes, focusing on her breathing for moment before inhaling a whiff of Chloe's vanilla scented shampoo. She opened her eyes to see she'd ended up half on Chloe's pillow, flipping over grumpily away from the smell.

This happened several more times as Beca tried to get comfortable without the familiar feeling of Chloe's arms wrapped around her. The redhead was cuddly even in her sleep, and Beca had finally adjusted to waking up to her girlfriend wrapped around her as if she were a favorite teddy bear. She eventually gave up, flopping onto her back and staring up at their bedroom ceiling until her phone jolted her upright.

 _Chloe [2:47am]: In a cab. Comin' home soon_

Beca grinned again, the exhaustion from the day hitting her in the form of a giant yawn. She'd just barely dozed off when the apartment door opened, following quickly by the deadbolt lock sliding into place. The clicking of Chloe's heels over the hardwood floors got closer until the bedroom door swung fully open, Beca sitting up a little bit to watch her girlfriend step carefully out of the 5-inch stilettos, always amazed she never turned an ankle.

"Hey baby. Why are you still up?"

Beca could hear the smile in the words before she looked up to meet Chloe's eyes and shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

Chloe eased out of her dress, letting the material pool on the floor as she pulled on a baggy t-shirt before crawling into the bed to straddle the brunette's hips. "Miss me too much?"

Beca scoffed, "What? No, of course not."

Chloe arched an eyebrow, moving to get off the bed until Beca's hands found her hips, keeping her in place.

"Maybe a little," Beca admitted, the reward of Chloe leaning down to kiss her more than worth any future jokes.

Chloe kissed her again, letting her lips linger before teasing, "Aww... you waited up for me."

Beca decided there was no point in denying it, nodding as she kissed the redhead again . "I'll always wait up for you, Chlo. I can't sleep without you."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks to my beta Arsto for taking on this new challenge/approach with me!**

 **We're currently taking requests/prompts, but I'll be real... I gotta feel it, or it won't happen.**


	3. New Man - Ed Sheeran

**A/N: I get that some of these will be sad/angsty... if you're wondering why that is, or why I included certain parts, I recommend you listen to the song. The good news about those is that if you don't like them you can ignore them without fear of a whole fic about it :-).**

 **Song requested by hufflepuff87.**

* * *

 **New Man – Ed Sheeran**

 _I don't wanna know about your new man_

 _'Cause if it was meant to be_

 _You wouldn't be callin' me up tryin' to_

 _'Cause I'm positive he don't wanna know about me_

 _I don't wanna know about your new man_

 _We'll get there eventually_

 _I know you're missin' all this kind of love_

 _But I'm positive that he don't wanna know about me_

* * *

Chloe glanced at her phone as it lit up and buzzed on the coffee table in front of her, sighing when she saw who was calling. She quickly reached over and declined the call, her eyes shifting back to the bowl of popcorn, glass of red wine, and the television screen in front of her. Less than a minute later her phone buzzed again and she huffed in annoyance, rolling her eyes as she answered the call.

"Hello?"

The voice on the other end still made her knees weak, almost like she could hear the familiar smirk. _"Hey. What are you up to tonight?"_

"I'm watching Netflix." Chloe kept her answers short, knowing this conversation needed to be as short as possible.

 _"Sounds fun. Want some company? Netflix and chill?"_

Chloe closed her eyes, brow furrowed as she bit back a snappy retort. "No thanks. Don't you have someone else to do that with these days?"

 _"He's out of town... some boys weekend thing in Malaga. Come on... It'll be fun. Just like old times."_

Chloe's patience ran out, retorting, "Fuck you, Beca. You broke up with me when you left for LA, and the fact I ended up out here for work doesn't change things. I wanted us and you didn't. Does he know you still call me?"

Beca paused on the other end of the line, and Chloe didn't wait for her to collect her thoughts.

"Goodnight Beca," she said, hanging up the phone.

Chloe sucked in a deep breath, setting her phone back on the coffee table and leaning back into her couch. The calls came more frequently since Beca began dating her new boyfriend, though for the life of her Chloe couldn't see what the brunette saw in him. His name was Ace... yeah, like a card or a tennis serve, and the fact he'd compounded it with an ace of spades tattoo on his bicep told Chloe everything she needed to know about him.

Unable to focus on the show any longer, she flipped it off and gulped down the rest of her wine. It had been three years since Barden and Beca and the best relationship Chloe had ever had, and she was still struggling to fully let go of the brunette and move on. She still remembered every detail of the way Beca had dipped her low onstage after they won World's and kissed her, finally admitting her true feelings. They'd celebrated that night with the Bellas, and ended up moving in together when they returned home to Georgia. Chloe got a job teaching music at a local school and Beca accepted a full-time position at Residual Heat as a producer. Things were great... until they weren't.

* * *

 _(flashback)_

 _"Chlo, we need to talk."_

 _Chloe's heart dropped as she looked up to meet Beca's eyes, the brunette's serious tone putting her on edge immediately._

 _"What's up?"_

 _Beca shifted uncomfortably before the words tumbled from her lips. "I got offered a promotion to senior producer."_

 _Chloe was sure her confusion was evident, asking, "Isn't that a good thing, Bec?"_

 _"Yeah, no... it's great," Beca mumbled, looking around the room. "It's just... It's in Los Angeles."_

 _"Oh..." Chloe trailed off, realizing why Beca wasn't more excited about the news. "So you're moving to LA?"_

 _Beca nodded, still refusing to look at her. "Yeah, I start in two weeks... they put me on a flight out tomorrow."_

 _"Tomorrow?!" Chloe blinked, wondering if these things really happened that fast. "That seems crazy fast."_

 _"Yeah, I know... but they want me to get started right away and they're paying for a place for me to live until I find my own and I'm a little bit nervous but also kinda excited even though I won't know anyone out there..." Beca rambled on, something Chloe usually found adorable but now only made her more uncomfortable._

 _"Beca," Chloe cut in, stopping the brunette from going any farther. "Where does that leave us?"_

 _The silence was deafening, and Chloe wondered if Beca could hear her heart pounding in her chest. She knew if Beca asked her to go with her to LA she'd say yes in a heartbeat. They'd only been dating about a year and hadn't dropped the L-bomb yet, but Chloe had known for years she loved the brunette. It took Beca a lot longer to figure it out, but to Chloe the wait had been more than worth it._

 _"Uh... " Beca hesitated, before continuing, "I'm not sure it leaves an us, Chlo."_

 _Chloe froze, Beca's words hitting her like a bullet to the chest and hurting twice as much. To her credit she didn't cry, feeling oddly numb as Beca continued on speaking, though her ears stopped working properly and she had no idea what was being said._

 _"Chlo? Okay? Are you okay?"_

 _Beca's voice grew louder, snapping her out of her daze. "Yeah, totes. I'm fine," Chloe managed. "I'm gonna stay with Aubrey for a few days..."_

* * *

Chloe remembered returning back to their apartment a few days later to find Beca completely moved out, finally breaking down and crying as the reality of the situation hit her. After a few days of wallowing, she forced herself to rejoin society, redecorated her apartment, and tried to push all thoughts of the brunette from her mind. Two years later she agreed to move out to LA with Aubrey when the blonde finally left the retreat to attend law school, easily finding another teaching position. Beca called her about a month after the move, and hasn't stopped since.

Chloe poured herself another glass of wine and picked up her phone, trying and failing to resist opening the brunette's Instagram, flipping through it only to see pictures of the two of them together. They made a strange couple, the man towering over Beca by at least a foot and a half, usually dressed in designer clothes that showed off the insane amount of time he must spend at the gym.

As Chloe flipped through the pictures, she wondered how Beca ended up with such a... tool. That was really the only word for it, rolling her eyes when she came across a photo of the two of them at a party, the idiot wearing sunglasses, a sleeveless shirt that showed off the tribal tattoos he had wrapped around both arms, one arm around Beca and the other throwing up some ridiculous hand gesture.

"How is she seriously with this guy?" Chloe mused out loud, flipping to the next picture and feeling her breath catch. It was just Beca this time, at a pier looking out over the water, seemingly completely relaxed with a carefree smile gracing her face.

Chloe stared for a few long seconds before tossing the phone away.

* * *

A knock on the door broke her concentration, forcing her to abandon her yoga mat and answer it, eyes widening in surprise to see Beca on the other side.

"Wow... can't believe you got all sweaty without me," Beca said with a wink, her eyes roaming over Chloe's spandex and sports bra. "You could have waited."

Chloe frowned, throwing an arm across the door frame blocking the brunette from entering. "What are you doing here?"

Beca shrugged, answering, "You stopped taking my calls."

"Because you're dating someone else," Chloe reminded her. "How is... Ace... anyways?" She asked, pausing at the name on purpose.

"He's good," Beca replied casually. "Dating is a... loose way to describe that relationship, though."

Chloe raised an eyebrow. "Would he feel that way?"

Beca shrugged again, her smirk returning. "No idea. You'll have to ask him."

"That's assuming he can form a complete sentence," Chloe muttered.

"I heard that." Beca's expression was still cocky.

"I meant you to," Chloe shot back. "Anyways, I was in the middle of something," she said, moving to close the door.

"Wait," Beca said quickly, and Chloe paused at the hint of desperation in her tone. "Can I come in? I just want to talk."

Chloe hesitated, feeling the pull and the desire before firming up her resolve and shaking her head no. "No... because we both know you don't just want to talk. You want to date him and sleep with me, and it's not gonna happen."

"Chlo..." Beca started, but Chloe shut the door in her face, audibly clicking the deadbolt.

Chloe held her breath as she waited, not moving from the door until she heard Beca's footsteps lead away down the hall, exhaling and sliding down to the floor leaning against the wood.

* * *

To her credit Beca stopped calling, and Chloe found herself battling conflicted emotions at that fact. She stalked her enough on Instagram to know that Beca was acting strangely, posting pictures of increasingly healthier foods and selfies from the gym. When they were dating Chloe dragged her to the gym once, an experience that ended up with Beca falling asleep on a yoga mat five minutes after they arrived claiming she was meditating. It was odd and confusing, but who was Chloe to judge the brunette if she was actually pursuing a healthier lifestyle.

When school let out for the summer a few of Chloe's colleagues invited her to a club to celebrate the upcoming student free months. She eagerly accepted, knowing it was a rare occurrence for them to be able to let their hair down a bit without worrying about school assignments or their students. They were out dancing and drinking and acting like normal young single adults and Chloe felt truly happy with the random woman who'd asked her to dance until she spotted the familiar silhouette in the back of the club.

Chloe excused herself and ventured closer to discover she'd been right. It was Beca, lip-locked with a guy that was definitely not Ace, and as awful as he seemed to Chloe, no one deserved to be cheated on. She was stunned that Beca had reached this level, wondering if she even recognized the woman she'd once loved with every fiber of her being. Unable to help herself, Chloe broke the pair up, stepping between them pinning Beca to the wall with her hands on both biceps, staring into her eyes.

"What are you doing?" Chloe shouted over the music, not letting Beca escape.

"If you wanted to kiss me, you just had to ask," Beca answered, ignoring the question and not fighting Chloe's hold.

Chloe shook her head, releasing the brunette and took a step back. "You're not a cheater, Bec. What's going on?"

Beca shrugged. "I told you we were only sorta dating. It's fine."

Chloe studied her for a moment, sadness washing over her as she saw loneliness in Beca's eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?

"Like you'd answer," Beca shot back, and Chloe recognized the hurt in her tone underneath the anger.

"I will," Chloe kept her tone even, steady. "I'll answer if you want to talk about it." After a moment, Chloe continued, "Bec, you know you don't have to be with him, right? You're free to make your own choices..."

Beca's eyes furrowed as she looked up at her, as if trying to figure out what Chloe's motive was. Still, it didn't prepare her for what the brunette said. "I miss you, Chlo."

Chloe wondered how often people got to experience this moment. The one that left asking to come back, fulfilling a dream she'd had for months hoping Beca would apologize and want to be with her again. It would be so easy to say yes... to kiss her and get back together and it was everything Chloe could do to keep that desire at bay.

"Bec... you can't say that to me. That's not fair," Chloe shook her head.

Beca looked anxious, stepping forward. "I mean it, Chlo. I screwed up, and I miss you like crazy."

Chloe shook her head again, backing away. "I can't do this right now. You need to be alone for a while, Beca. Figure out what you really want."

Beca stepped forward again but Chloe put her hand up. "Don't follow me. Please... just... don't follow me."

Chloe spun on her heel and hightailed it out of the club, taking what seemed like an eternity to make it outside and gulp in a breath of fresh air.

* * *

Two months had passed since the incident at the club, and Chloe again hadn't heard from the brunette. More Instagram stalking and several conversations with Fat Amy led to the knowledge that Beca was acting more like her old self. She'd broken it off with Ace and returned to her lazy, potato chip eating lifestyle, a fact that made Chloe smile fondly. It was a little harder to accept the fact that now that Beca while was acting more like herself, she still didn't want anything to do with her, but Chloe decided that enough time had passed and she needed to move on. Staying hung up on one person while life passes you by is no way to live it... at least according to Aubrey.

A knock at her door had her smoothing the last wrinkles from her dress, grabbing her purse and moving to open it, ready for her first real date in months. It was one of her fellow teachers, Peter to be exact. He taught fifth grade and was handsome and patient and kind. Chloe didn't think it was true love, but he would treat her right and seemed as good a choice as any to put herself back out there.

Chloe swung the door open with a smile, not expecting to find Beca on the other side holding a bouquet of her favorite flowers.

"Hi," Beca said nervously, looking into her eyes.

Chloe took a step back, swallowing before asking, "What are you doing here? I have a date. He'll be here any minute!"

Beca glanced around, before saying, "Shit. Uh, okay... just let me get this out real quick."

Chloe crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for an explanation.

"Chlo, I'm so sorry. You were right... I was acting like an idiot. Everything happened so fast and I didn't know how to handle it, but I know now what I should have done is asked you to come with me. I wanted to, but I was afraid you'd say no. I... I know I screwed up, but I really miss having you in my life. You were my best friend, and I miss you."

It was the most Chloe had ever heard her say at one time, and the words were everything she wanted to hear. Her heart was pounding again, everything inside her telling her to grab Beca and kiss her until neither of them could breathe, brought back to reality by the fact that Beca only wanted her friendship. She missed her friend... not her girlfriend.

Beca offered her the flowers, saying, "These are for you. Think of them as a peace offering?"

Chloe hesitated a moment, before accepting the flowers. "Thanks..."

Beca shifted awkwardly. "I didn't know you had a date tonight... I'm sorry. I'll just..."

"Chloe?"

Chloe glancing around until her eyes locked on Peter looking at them. Beca immediately stepped back, looking between the two of them before saying, "No worries, I was just leaving. She's all yours."

Chloe felt her heart twinge at the brunette's words, watching Beca retreat down the hallway. Part of her desperately wanted to chase the girl down, but Chloe couldn't get past the fact that Beca made it clear she didn't want to get back together. Chloe knew it would be a bad idea anyways, that Beca probably still wasn't ready... and if she was honest, neither was she.

Realizing Peter was waiting patiently for her, Chloe smiled at him. "Let me just put these in some water and I'll be all set."

* * *

It didn't work out with Peter. He was a nice guy, but they both acknowledged after a few dates that the chemistry just wasn't there for either of them. Chloe was glad he felt the same way, and they were able to remain friends without it being weird at school.

Beca began taking her up on the offer to talk, calling once or twice a week to chat about her job and life and occasionally, to Chloe's dismay, Ace. They'd stayed broken up but Beca still hung out with him every once in a while as friends, and Chloe discovered she was equally jealous and confused at their whole relationship the more she found out about the pair.

Beca seemed to be getting back to the person Chloe remembered her to be from Barden, with the added confidence she gained from professional success working with famous artists. It was sexy, and Chloe would have to be blind to ignore the growing chemistry and comfort between the two of them during their conversations.

Chloe continued to date, proceeding to tell Beca about each new person in her life only to have the brunette cautiously find one reason or another they weren't meant for her. Chloe asked her about it once, Beca only scoffing and saying that she cared who her best friend ended up with since she'd have to put up with them too. Chloe's heart sank a bit at her words, but honestly felt she was making progress accepting that she and Beca weren't meant to be.

The next turning point was when Chloe allowed Beca to come over for dinner and to hang out and watch movies. She ordered a few pizzas and opened the door to find Beca holding two bottles of wine, the brunette throwing her a wink before giving her a side hug and venturing into the kitchen in search of a corkscrew. They drank both bottles and ended up passing out together on the couch like they used to back in college, Chloe waking up with a nasty wine headache to Beca comfortably sleeping against her stomach.

This became a weekly weekend occurrence as well, shifting around depending on whether Chloe had a date or not. Whenever Chloe would ask Beca if she was seeing anyone new the brunette would shake her head, always countering with a simple explanation that she was happily single, or she didn't have time for a relationship, or she was waiting for the right person. Chloe would shrug and accept it and they'd spend the rest of the night drinking wine and watching Netflix, or laughing at funny YouTube videos until their sides ached.

At the end of another school year and another failed attempt at a relationship, Chloe realized why nothing was clicking. After the breakup she called Beca, who immediately offered her sympathies and offered to come over with wine, pizza, and ice cream, and said Ryan was a stupid name for a girl anyways. Chloe grinned at her attempt to be positive and how out of character it was for the brunette, appreciating the effort.

Chloe's heart swelled when she answered the door, Beca immediately barging inside with her hands full to deposit everything in Chloe's kitchen before turning to face her.

"Are you okay, Chlo?"

The sincerity in her face and voice almost brought her to tears. This was her Beca... the one she fell so madly in love with... who didn't love her back, or want more than friendship.

Pulling herself together, Chloe nodded. "Yeah, I'll be okay. She wasn't the one."

Beca nodded, turning back around to put the ice cream in the freezer for later. "Yeah, I know."

Chloe raised an eyebrow as Beca froze, seemingly not having meant to say that out loud. "You did, huh?"

Beca's shoulders dropped, turning to look at her. "That was a stupid thing to say. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that. She could have been the one... what do I know. I'm an idiot."

Chloe wasn't going to let it go so easily. "What did you mean?"

"Chlo... come on. I said I was sorry..."

"What did you mean, Beca?"

Beca sighed, finally mumbling, "I could use about a bottle of wine right now."

Chloe shook her head, saying, "Never mind. Don't worry about it, Bec."

"No, just... she wasn't the one Chlo," Beca said intently.

Chloe fired back, "How do you know that?"

"Because I'm the one!" Beca shouted.

Chloe froze, looking at the nervous expression now gracing the brunette's face. She wasn't sure she heard her right, if her brain was playing tricks on her or if Beca had actually said the words out loud.

Beca took a deep breath, seemingly gaining courage from the fact Chloe hadn't gotten upset or asked her to leave.

"I'm the one, Chloe."

Chloe let out a slow breath, replying, "I thought you were the one, too. But that was a long time ago."

Beca took a step forward, pleading, "I was so stupid, Chlo. I was in love with you but I was too afraid to say it. I was so in love with you, and so afraid of losing you that I ran away. I pushed you away because I thought it'd be easier that way, but it wasn't. I regretted it the second that plane took off and you weren't with me, but it was too late. I tried to move on but... well you saw how well that went. It got so bad I didn't even recognize myself."

Chloe shook her head, saying, "Bec..."

Beca stepped forward and reached for her hand. "I told myself that being your friend would be enough. I want you to be happy, Chlo, even if that's not with me. But watching you date all these people made me realize that it's not enough... it made me realize that I should be the one taking you out on dates, and making you smile in the middle of the day from a text message, and surprising you with pizza and wine and ice cream after a long day. It's not a coincidence it didn't work out with any of those other people, because they're not the one Chloe... I am."

Chloe looked into Beca's eyes, seeing the hint of desperation behind the deep blue irises. She could tell Beca meant it, and had seen the change with her own eyes over the past months, but the lingering doubt and hurt was hard to overcome.

"And if I need more time?" Chloe asked softly, watching Beca's face fall at the words.

"Then I'll be your friend," Beca admitted, meeting her eyes again. "Your best friend. I want you to be happy Chlo, and if you need more time to trust me again, I'm willing to wait."

"What if I never want to get back together?"

Beca held her gaze, finally answering, "That would suck."

Chloe couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up from her throat at Beca's blunt honesty. She could understand the sentiment though, as the thought of not ever being with Beca again caused an ache in her chest.

"Chlo... will you have dinner with me Friday night?" Beca asked cautiously.

Chloe met her eyes, saying, "Like a date?"

Beca nodded. "Yeah... exactly like a date."

Chloe studied the brunette carefully, noting the hopeful expression on her beautiful face, the face Chloe realized was the one she wanted to come home to every night and wake up to every morning. All those other dates and people never worked out because Beca was right... she was the one, the only one Chloe wanted... and once she accepted that in her heart she found there wasn't really anything more to think about.

Chloe smiled, Beca instantly matching her grin and let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay, it's a date."

* * *

A/N: As always, thanks for my awesome beta Arsto!

Another shoutout to hufflepuff87 for requesting the song. I'd never heard it but one listen had ideas popping up in my head for this one shot.


	4. Bored of Your Love - Meg and Dia

**A/N: So the first time I heard this song, I didn't think I could use it for this series. I couldn't picture Bechloe in this type of relationship. After another listen and a chat with the best Beta ever, we found a solution.:-)**

 **Song requested by laco0417**

* * *

 **Bored of Your Love - Meg and Dia**

 _(Person A)_

 _Did you think about what I said last night?_  
 _Knowing you, you probably didn't._  
 _I could picture your face on the other side._  
 _Completely oblivious._  
 _Do you really feel like this love is real?_  
 _I wish I could join you._

(Person B)

So, I thought about what you said last night  
Normally I probably wouldn't  
But something you said kept me up all night  
I tried to sleep but I just couldn't  
I hope you still feel like this love is for real  
'Cause I know that I do

 _I'm bored with your love  
_ (I'm in love with your love) _  
I'm bored of your face  
_ (In love with your face) _  
I'm bored of your random all over the place attitude  
I'm bored of you  
_(I'm in love with you)

* * *

Beca poked at the food on her plate with her fork, shifting the rice around aimlessly. She knew it was a little petty, but she didn't really want to go through their usual motions of small talk when they both made it home for dinner. A cough had her glancing up and across the table.

"How was your day?"

Beca met Jesse's caring, interested expression and felt a rush of guilt. "Uh... it was fine. Yours?"

Jesse grinned and immediately began recounting his team's progress on their latest film, allowing Beca to tune out most of what he was saying by nodding and offering the occasional noise of affirmation. She was drawn out of her silence at Jesse's repeated calling of her name.

"Bec? Beca?!"

"Hmm.. What?" Beca's eyes focused on his, realizing he must have asked her a question.

Jess shot her a concerned look before setting his fork down. "Are you okay?"

Beca shrugged, deciding now was as good a time as any to test the waters. "Yeah, just... are you happy Jess? Like, really happy?"

His eyebrows creased thoughtfully, giving her serious tone the proper consideration before breaking into a smile. "Yeah, I am. How could I not be? I'll admit, I was a little nervous when I graduated early and moved out here without you, but then you graduated and we moved in together and my job is awesome... it's like the perfect ending to the movie."

Jesse leaned back in his chair, the smile remaining on his face. "Aren't you happy, Bec?"

Beca forced something of a smile onto her face, replying, "I mean... I guess? I still don't have full creative license at work, which bothers me. Some of the tracks that come across my desk could be really amazing, but I have to listen to that jackass of a boss and allow input from the artist even when I know it's wrong."

Jesse nodded understandingly, before asking, "What about with us?"

Beca wasn't sure how to answer him, deciding to respond with another question. "Do you think this is real? Like us... this is really what being in love feels like?"

Jesse sighed, rising out of his chair and moving to pull her to her feet and into a hug.

"Bec, I know you're worried about this stuff because your parents had a shitty relationship. Just trust me... this is good. We're good, and it's real," he said, his voice calm and sure.

Beca was suddenly thankful for his arms around her, knowing it meant he couldn't see the doubt and uncertainty in her face.

* * *

"I thought about what you said last night."

Beca's eyes shot up from the dishes she was washing to meet Jesse's, pausing to fully take in the way he stood watching her from the other side of their kitchen countertop.

"Okay..." She trailed off, unsure of where he was going with it.

Jesse moved around the counter as she dried her hands on a dishtowel.

"I couldn't sleep at all," he admitted as he closed the distance between them. "Something you said... that you weren't sure this is what love is. Bec, I hope you still feel like this love is for real because I do. I love you... I'm in love with you."

"Why?" Beca asked, genuinely curious at his answer. "I'm not like... your typical girl and sometimes I just..."

Jesse interrupted her, "I love that about you. I love that you're different and unconventional, that you say what's on your mind and you don't care what people think... I love your face even though it almost always looks pissed off at something or someone. I don't know, I think that when you love someone you love all of them, even the weird parts."

If she hadn't known something was off before, Beca was sure of it now. She was positive that when someone explains all the reasons they love you, you get butterflies or goosebumps or some squirrely feelings inside because you love them back. She was getting none of those... in fact, the whole conversation was becoming more and more awkward for her by the second.

Jesse wasn't picking up on the vibes, and instead asked, "Why do you love me? My boyish charm and good looks? My awesomely positive and supportive attitude about life?"

Beca stared at him, blurting out the first thing that came to her mind.

"I'm bored of you."

Jesse's eyes widened, his smile freezing in place for a moment before slowly disappearing. "What?"

Somewhere inside, deep down inside, Beca knew the polite thing to do would be to apologize and never speak of this moment again. Instead, now that some of the truth was out, she realized she was powerless to stop the rest of the confession from spilling from her lips.

"God, Jess I'm so bored of you. I'm not sure what other word to use... I'm bored of your face, and your random cheerfulness and how you're always perfect! I can't... this can't be what love feels like. Our life here is so boring! We literally never do anything except watch movies and eat and..."

Jesse had retreated a few steps, the hurt visible in his eyes. "Wow... um... I didn't know you felt that way," he said lamely, clearly unsure how to handle the moment.

"What happened? Remember when we first met? You were spontaneous and fun and... and you put the effort in!" Beca sighed, wondering how long she'd truly been harboring all these feelings, keeping them locked away inside.

Jesse frowned, replying, "We're not in college anymore, Bec. This is what being an adult looks like. You go to work, you come home to the person you love."

Beca just shook her head, knowing there had to be more. "I wish we were strangers again. I don't think I can do this anymore."

The panic was evident on Jesse's face as he scrambled to grab her hands and stop her from leaving the room. "Let me just take you out one time. We can pretend we're strangers... that we've never met!"

Beca looked up at him, studying the desperation in his face and voice. "I... don't even know what to say to that, Jess. I mean, it sounds nice but... no. There's too much time... too many memories and history to just pretend like it never happened."

Jesse clutched her hands, refusing to let go. "Bec... I don't... is this really it? Are you seriously breaking up with me?"

The full weight of the moment hit her, and Beca wondered exactly how her life would look without Jesse in it. He'd been the one constant since she'd arrived at Barden, besides her girls of course. She still kept in touch with Chloe and Fat Amy and the rest, but Jesse had that extra title of her boyfriend, what she realized now was really only a security blanket shielding her from things she didn't want to face alone. He was still one of her best friends, and Beca knew that even if they weren't that epic love story he'd been positive of, her life wouldn't be the same without him.

"Yeah, Jess... I am."

* * *

It had maybe been an hour since Jesse packed a bag and left to stay with a friend when Beca's iphone screen lit up, the familiar ringtone playing through the suddenly large apartment and bringing a smile to her face. She crossed the main room and swiped to answer the call, grinning at the picture on the screen.

"Hey Chlo."

 _"Bec, how are you doing?"_

Beca frowned for a moment at Chloe's tone, trying to put the pieces together. "How do you know?" She asked, deciding it'd be easier for Chloe to just tell her how she found out.

 _"Jesse told Benji, who told Emily, who called me."_

"Oh... right. That's... that would happen," Beca sighed, moving to collapse on the couch. "Uh, yeah, so... we broke up. Well, I broke up with him."

Chloe's voice was sympathetic, and Beca wondered if it had always had such a calming effect on her. _"Aw,_ _Bec. Do you need me to come out there?"_

Beca shook her head, saying, "No, I'm fine. I mean, yeah we dated for a while, but he's staying with a friend from work and I'll find a place... I'm fine. You don't need to fly across the country... I'm fine."

 _"You know, the more times you insist you're fine the less I believe you,"_ Chloe teased, making Beca chuckle. _"And you guys dated for like six years... that's more than a while. Are you sure you're okay?"_

"Fair enough, but seriously, just talking to you right now is helping," Beca replied, not thinking much into her words. "I always feel good after we talk, Chlo."

Chloe paused for a moment, before saying, _"Me too,_ _Becs. So what happened?"_

Beca recounted the story, explaining exactly what happened and the words she and Jesse exchanged. She trusted Chloe completely, and somehow knew the redhead would understand.

 _"Damn, Becs... that was... harsh,"_ Chloe said, though her tone was more surprised than the judgement the words suggested. _"But if that's how you really felt, you did the right thing. That's not what love feels like."_

Beca sighed, "I know. I felt bad afterwards, but also kinda relieved you know? Like it was getting this huge weight off my shoulders. And I mean, it wasn't fair to him since we clearly were not on the same page anymore. I don't even know when things changed... but I think it was a while ago."

 _"Those honest conversations are hard to have, but I think they're the most revealing and rewarding at the same time. I mean, nothing worth anything comes easy. You have to work for the good stuff."_

Beca shrugged, which felt stupid when she realized Chloe couldn't see her. "Not with us, Chlo. Everything with us is so easy."

Chloe let out a laugh, before reminding her, _"Remember when you hid your internship from me? Well, from all of the_ _Bellas? We fought about it in front of everyone and it was terrible at the time, but it also brought us back together in the end. Without that we wouldn't have won Worlds."_

Beca laughed at the memory, before finally agreeing, "Yeah, okay that sucked. I really thought I was going to die!"

 _"You were never going to die. You were super dramatic for being like... ten feet in the air."_

"Whatever.. it was at least fifteen," Beca argued back playfully. "I could have died."

Chloe was silent for a moment, replying quietly, _"I'm glad you didn't."_

Something in her voice made Beca pause. "Me too."

* * *

Beca jerked up off the couch, twisting around to look suspiciously at her door as if she could see through it to send the person knocking away. It was officially twenty four hours since she'd broken up with Jesse, and she couldn't think of anyone else that could be at the door. Also, why didn't he just use his key to get in?

The person knocked again, and Beca realized she was going to have to let him in or send the misguided soul away. She definitely wasn't in the mood for company. She reached the door and undid the chain lock, twisting the handle and pulled it open.

Beca's eyes locked on the familiar blue eyes and red hair of her best friend, warmth and happiness flooding through her. Chloe didn't hesitate, stepping forward and wrapping her in a tight hug. Beca returned the hug, not realizing how much she missed Chloe's daily presence in her life as emotions got the better of her and tears sprung to her eyes. Chloe heard her sniffle and leaned back, her smile bright as ever.

"You're a mess, Mitchell," she teased, pulling her in for another hug.

Beca nodded, holding onto her. "I really thought I was okay, but now that you're here I realize how much I needed my best friend."

"I know. I know you better than you think." Chloe gave her a squeeze, before murmuring, "I missed you, Becs."

Beca felt something shift pleasantly in her stomach at Chloe's words and her tone, a slight rush going through her. "I missed you too, Chlo."

They finally stepped back and Beca led the way back inside, closing the door behind them.

"I can't believe you're here," Beca said once they were settled on the couch, Chloe's legs thrown haphhazardly over her lap.

Chloe shrugged, "You're my best friend, Becs. I'm always gonna be here for you."

Beca smiled, saying, "You know I was actually struggling being alone tonight. Which is crazy... like I was so unhappy with Jesse and I know breaking up was the right thing..."

"That's totes normal, Beca..." Chloe paused as Beca rolled her eyes, shaking her head at the brunette's antics. "So, what do you think was missing?"

Beca frowned in thought, answering, "With Jesse? I'm not sure, I guess. I just didn't feel excited about him anymore. I mean, I was way more excited to see you at my door tonight than I have been about Jesse in the longest time..." She trailed off at the look in Chloe's eyes.

"That... that could mean something," Chloe offered quietly, not looking away.

Beca paused, her eyebrows creasing more as she thought about her own statement. Her mind drifted back over why she felt it wasn't right with Jesse, and realized none of those things applied to Chloe. Just a call from the redhead put a smile on her face, and seeing her in person tonight had lit a spark of happiness inside her.

"Why did you come here, Chlo?" Beca asked, wondering if Chloe would tell her.

Chloe stared at her for a moment, finally answering, "Because my best friend broke up with her boyfriend and..."

Beca waited as Chloe trailed off, wondering if she really had feelings for the redhead. It was so easy to brush them off as ridiculous thoughts, and even if she did there was no way Chloe felt the same way. The redhead was gorgeous and Beca had never seen her show any interest in women, not that she'd shown any herself, but now in this moment the more she thought about it the more she couldn't stop thinking about it. Of course she'd always known Chloe was gorgeous, but tonight it was like seeing her in a completely different light.

"Bec?" Chloe's voice was light and soft, and Beca met her gaze to see something new in her eyes... something she didn't quite recognize.

"I..." Beca started, suddenly unsure of herself. It was the emotions of the moment, the craziness she was putting herself through after the breakup that was causing this minor identity crisis... it couldn't actually be feelings for her best friend. "I think I'm having a moment," she admitted weakly, running her fingers through her hair.

Chloe bit down on her bottom lip, finally asking, "Wanna talk about it?"

It was the final straw, the one that drew Beca's gaze to Chloe's lips... she was powerless to stop herself from closing the small gap between them. To her surprise Chloe didn't pull away and Beca leaned back almost immediately, eyes wide at her own boldness.

"God, Chlo... I'm sorry I don't know what I was..."

Chloe leaned in and kissed her again, cutting off her rambling, this one lasting a bit longer. Beca sank into the redhead almost immediately, heat rushing through her. It felt so right, to the extent she couldn't believe it could feel so good to kiss someone. It only lasted a little longer than their first chaste kiss, but Beca was sure of at least one thing when Chloe pulled back to look at her cautiously.

"Well, uh... you asked me what was missing..." Beca whispered, not daring to look away from Chloe's eyes. "I think I figured it out."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks again to my beta Arsto for helping me through this one.**

 **You guys and your angsty requests... where's the love?!**

 **Thanks for reading and reviewing! I'm having fun with these :-).**


	5. Take Your Time - Sam Hunt

**A/N: Had a busy summer, but I'm ready to get back into writing. Here's a double post to make up for the long absence :-).**

* * *

 **Take Your Time – Sam Hunt**

 _I don't know if you were looking at me or not_

 _You probably smile like that all the time_

 _And I don't mean to bother you but_

 _I couldn't just walk by_

 _And not say hi_

 _I don't wanna wreck your Friday_

 _I ain't gonna waste my lines_

 _I don't have to take your heart_

 _I just wanna take your time_

* * *

Beca leaned her elbows on the high-top table at the back of the bar, taking a sip of her beer before burying her face in her hands. Another day, another idiotic artist who she was forced to suck up to by her idiotic boss. His music was terrible, and yet anything she tried to do to fix it got shot down immediately. It was enough to drive her to drink... clearly. Thank God it was Friday and whatever his name was had weekend plans, so she wasn't expected back in the studio until Monday.

She nursed her beer and listened to the music filtering around the room, the entertainment being some small local band that had a great sound and would probably remain undiscovered for eternity since it seemed only terrible artists found their way to her studio. Beca knew they were good because the bar was packed, and it wasn't for the watered-down drinks that cost a small fortune.

"Welcome to New York," she muttered to herself, draining the last of her beer.

Just as she set the bottle back on the table a small group of women pushed their way into the bar, standing around a table not far from her own. It was impossible to miss, as two of the three were statuesque, and all of them were simply drop dead gorgeous. Beca was glad she'd finished her beer before seeing them, knowing she'd probably have choked on the last sip and made of fool of herself doing a real life spit-take. The three seemed to argue amongst themselves for a moment before the blonde dragged the brunette towards the bar.

Beca knew who they were, it was impossible not to recognize the redheaded actress from her impressive credentials that included two Oscars, and the two models she was constantly photographed with. Everyone knew her name, and it was evident as a few braver fans came up to ask for a photo or an autograph. The redhead graciously smiled and obliged, though Beca sensed the relief when she was finally left alone to wait for her friends to return from the bar. To her horror the redhead glanced her way in time to catch her staring, and Beca dropped her eyes immediately to the table, wondering if she could simply vanish out of this moment forever. By the time she bravely lifted her gaze back up to room level the redhead was looking down at her phone, and Beca wondered if she imagined the whole thing.

"Of course you did... why would she be looking at you." The mumbling to herself was a bad habit, but Beca had nothing else to do while she waited for her best friend to show up.

Her own phone buzzing on the table distracted her, and Beca glanced down to see a text from Amy. She swiped it open to read that Amy was standing her up for one of her many boy toys, and was reminded of her empty beer when a server swiped the empty bottle off her table while passing by. Laughter from the table nearby had her glancing back toward the redhead, visible between her friends, even more gorgeous with the happiness painted across her face. Before she could look away the redhead met her gaze again, this time breaking into a softer smile that made Beca's heart flutter. Just as the previous time, the moment passed so quickly Beca wondered if it had actually happened, quickly shaking the whole encounter off and headed back to the bar for another beer.

It was a busy night, and it took her a few minutes to get the bartenders attention for that beer, taking a long pull once it was firmly in her grasp. As she turned to make her way out of the crowd, she noticed the redhead was alone once again, and decided she was just buzzed enough to do something stupid.

Beca shuffled slowly over to the table, taking another long sip from her bottle before covering the last few steps.

"Hi," she said, making sure to be heard over the music and drawing the redhead's attention away from her phone and wow her eyes were the bluest fucking things in the world. How someone's eyes could be so beautiful and so intimidating at the same time, she'd never know. Beca was suddenly glad for the music because she was sure the pounding of her heart would be audible in a quieter setting.

"Hi," the redhead said, breaking into that same soft smile.

"I don't know if you were looking at me before... I mean, you probably smile like that all the time. I just... I couldn't just walk by and not say hi," Beca rambled, the feeling of wanting to disappear becoming a familiar one. "I'm sorry for bothering you," she finished, starting to move back towards her table in the corner.

"You aren't bothering me."

Beca froze, looking curiously back at the woman. "Really?"

She laughed and nodded, and Beca wondered how someone's laugh could be so addicting. "Yeah, I'm sure. I'm Chloe."

Beca swallowed, nodding. "Yeah, I know... I mean, shit. It's nice to meet you, Chloe. I'm Beca. Sorry, I sound insane... I swear I'm not."

Chloe chuckled at her again, gesturing at the stool beside her, replying, "It's okay. You're doing better than most."

"I suppose that's a good thing," Beca answered, perching on the stool and setting her beer on the table.

"Yeah, some people can't even form a sentence, so I'd say you're doing well."

Beca thought about that for a moment. "Is it weird? To have so many people know who you are, and kinda idolize you or freak out or whatever?"

Chloe's eyebrows furrowed adorably as she thought about her answer, and Beca wondered how she was ever going to recover from this conversation.

"Sometimes. People think they know me because they've seen me in a movie or read about me in a magazine," Chloe answered, finally meeting her eyes again. "It can be a little disconcerting, and also frustrating when people aren't interested in getting to know the real me."

Beca was about to respond before they were interrupted as a man sidled up to Chloe's other side and placed a drink on the table in front of her.

"Hey Chloe. Thought you could use a refill," he said, shooting the redhead a smile.

Chloe glanced at him, before politely saying, "That's very thoughtful, but I'm not finished with this one." She motioned to her current glass, which Beca could admit was dangerously low.

To Beca's utter shock, the man picked up the near-empty glass and downed the rest of it, placing it back on the table. "Now you're empty," he said with a grin, sliding the new cocktail closer to the redhead.

Beca could see the conflicting emotions flashing across Chloe's face, wondering what was going through her mind and not having to wait long to find out.

Chloe's polite expression turned cold, pushing the man's offered drink back to him. "I'm not interested, and I don't accept drinks from overgrown frat boys who think acting like an asshole is attractive."

Somehow Beca held back the snicker, waiting patiently while the man picked up the drink and walked away. "Damn..." She trailed off softly, looking back at the actress.

Chloe sighed, "I hate it when guys pull shit like that. It's not attractive and getting me drunk is not going to help your chances of taking me home."

Beca remained silent for a moment, before deciding the best course of action was to pick up where they left off. "I'd like to get to know the real you."

Chloe's eyes shot to hers, holding her gaze.

Beca shrugged, adding quickly, "It's just a conversation. You don't know me... I don't know you... but, I want to."

Something in Chloe's expression changed at her words, and Beca wondered if she'd crossed some imaginary line. Reasoning with herself, she knew that if Chloe wanted her to leave she'd have said something by now, or her friends would have come back to rescue her from the weird girl who didn't know when to walk away. That thought made her bolder, stepping out onto the ledge.

"Want to get out of here? I know a place..." Beca began, not getting to finish as Chloe interrupted her.

"That's a bit forward of you, don't you think?"

Beca quirked an eyebrow at the redhead, finishing her thought, "...that makes the best carnitas tacos you'll ever eat." She felt satisfied at the slight blush coloring Chloe's cheeks, and a little bit guilty at convincing the woman her motives were completely innocent when that was certainly not the case.

Letting herself be a little bit vulnerable, Beca added, "I don't wanna go home with you, Chloe... I just wanna be alone with you." It was her turn to blush as she realized how that sounded, stuttering, " I mean away from all these prying eyes and guys waiting to interrupt us every two minutes."

Chloe remained thoughtful for a moment though her eyes held a combination of laughter and mischief, before saying, "What the hell. I'm starving. Let's go."

* * *

"Oh my God..." Chloe sat back and tossed a napkin into the empty plastic basket in front of her. "Those were the best tacos I've ever had."

Beca smirked, finishing the last bite of her own meal. "I know... I found this place after I got lost one day and have been coming back ever since."

"It makes me wish I spent more time in New York," Chloe said, her expression actually looking sad at the thought of leaving.

"You don't live here?" Beca questioned, confused. "But you're photographed here all the time."

Chloe raised an eyebrow at her, making her blush. "My best friends live here. I visit them when I can, and they come to LA when they can."

Beca must have looked appropriately guilty, because Chloe's face broke into a relaxed smile. "The two models, right?"

Chloe nodded. "They're totes gorgeous, right? And they've been together for like five years now."

Beca did a double take at that information, her eyes shooting up to meet Chloe's blue irises. "What?"

"They've been dating for like five years. I can't imagine being with the same person for that long," Chloe replied casually. "I don't know what a real relationship would look like for me. I'd have to find someone who didn't want me for my money or fame and all that... which might be someone that doesn't exist."

Beca shrugged, saying, "I don't know... they might be out there."

Chloe shook her head, changing the topic. "Anyways, what do you do, Becs?"

The nickname caught her off guard, but thoughts of her job had her face morphing into a frown.

"Aw, come on," Chloe encouraged. "It can't be that bad."

Beca sighed, answering, "It shouldn't be. I'm a music producer..."

"Oh my God! That's amazing!"

"...but I don't get to choose the artists I work with right now and that sucks," Beca finished, already thinking about how to survive her time in the studio on Monday without going insane.

"Your time will come," Chloe said confidently.

Beca laughed, "I'm glad to know that, Miss Cleo. Care to elaborate on when that will be?"

Chloe threw a napkin at her face, making her duck behind her hands.

"It's no fun knowing everything," Chloe shot back. "Keeps the mystery alive."

Beca shook her head, eyes wandering to the employees stacking chairs around them. "Shit, I think we need to go."

Chloe looked around before agreeing with her, quickly cleaning up their trash and following her outside onto the sidewalk.

"Ugh, I'm not ready to go home yet," Chloe said, eyes bright as she looked around the street.

Beca hesitated, before deciding she definitely had nothing to lose. "I know a place we can go. It's not even that far from here."

Chloe grinned and happily accepted. "Lead the way."

Beca laughed and gestured in the correct direction, falling into step beside the redhead. "Did you always want to be an actress?"

Chloe shook her head. "No, of course not. I wanted to be a veterinarian, actually. I love animals. The whole acting thing just kind of happened."

Beca's face must have given her shock away, as Chloe gave her a slight shove. "Don't give me that look... I'm not some airhead bimbo who got into acting because I didn't have other options."

Beca recovered quickly, replying, "No, of course not. I could see you as a vet. You're bubbly and happy and... I don't know, it just works."

"Did you always want to be a music producer?"

"Yeah," Beca nodded, looking down at her feet. "It's not quite lived up to the dream so far, but I'm still a junior producer. Hopefully I'll get to choose my own projects soon, and then it'll be better. I've always loved music... I think music can change your life and I want to be a part of that."

Chloe smiled, answering quietly, "I think that's awesome."

Beca shrugged, "Well, you haven't heard what I'm working on right now so... reserve judgement for how awesome it is."

They continued walking along trading questions, Beca discovering that Chloe came from a big family in a small town in Florida, and that she still felt alone sometimes in LA. She quickly found that listening to Chloe describe her family of three brothers and two sisters and all the craziness that surrounded her was fast becoming one of her favorite things, and wondered what her life would be like after this fairytale of a night ended and they never spoke again.

"We're here," Beca announced as they reached their destination, pulling her keys out and unlocking the door. "After you."

Chloe stepped inside, asking, "Where are we?"

"This is where I work," Beca answered, leading the way towards her studio. "It's pretty nice, except for the music."

Chloe laughed, following her into the booth. "This is awesome."

Beca looked around, agreeing, "Yeah, it's super nice. Anyways, this is the garbage I've been working on lately..." She trailed off, hitting a button and filling the small space with the track.

It didn't take a genius to read the expression on Chloe's face, and Beca fought back her laughter as the redhead struggled to be polite. Beca had mercy on her after about thirty seconds and shut it off, now laughing out loud at the way Chloe was grimacing.

"I know... it's shit," Beca said, still chuckling.

Chloe shook her head. "Why do they want to release it like that?"

"It's his vision... or some shit like that," Beca explained with a shrug. "I edited it and made it sound halfway decent, but he got super pissed off and demanded we revert back to the original mess. This is what I did to it."

Beca tapped a few buttons on the laptop and suddenly a new sound filled the small booth.

Chloe's jaw dropped, looking at her in amazement. "Is this even the same song? It sounds so good!"

Beca nodded, smirking at the compliment. "I mean, the lyrics are still awful, but if you ignore them it's not so bad."

"You're really talented," Chloe commented, moving a little with the beat.

Beca watched her for a few seconds before snapping back to reality, turning the song off and drowning them in silence once more. Chloe was looking at her again, her expression unreadable, and Beca felt another push to do something really stupid.

"I wrote and produced this one all by myself," she admitted, queueing up another track and letting it fill the booth at a lower volume.

She stood up as Chloe listened thoughtfully to the song, taking it in before looking back at her.

"Beca, this is incredible. Why don't you have this out on the radio or something?"

Beca shrugged, "I'm a producer. I don't want to be an artist."

Chloe came to some realization, her eyes going wide. "Are you singing? Is this you? Your voice is amazing!"

"Uh... yeah... that's me on the demo," Beca blushed, looking away. "I've never played this for anyone before."

"I'm honored."

Beca met Chloe's eyes at the seriousness in her voice, noticing for the first time how close they were.

"Uh... can I ask you something?"

Chloe nodded, waiting patiently for Beca to figure out the right words.

"Would you uh... want to go out sometime? The next time you're in New York?"

Chloe quirked an eyebrow at her. "I thought you didn't feel that way about me."

Beca paused, quipping back, "I mean, I don't have to meet your mother or anything. It's just coffee... or dinner... or..."

Chloe leaned in and connected their lips, effectively shutting her up. "I'd love to."

* * *

 **A/N: As always, thanks to my awesome beta Arsto!**


	6. Wait - Maroon 5

**Wait – Maroon 5**

 _Dirty looks from your mother_

 _Never seen you in a dress that color, no_

 _It's a special occasion_

 _Not invited but I'm glad I made it_

 _Wait, can you turn around, can you turn around?_

 _Just wait, can we work this out, can we work this out?_

 _Just wait, can you come here please?_

' _Cause I want to be with you_

* * *

Beca paused outside the restaurant, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves and organize her swimming thoughts. Never in her wildest dreams would she imagine being in this place, or doing what she was about to do. Her situation was no one's fault but her own, and she was down to one last desperate attempt to make it right.

"Sack up, dude," she muttered, the combination of regret and alcohol fueling her to push the door open before she could back out.

She only made it a few steps inside before one of the staff stopped her.

"I'm sorry, Miss. We're closed for a private event tonight," he said politely, glancing anxiously over his shoulder at the guests milling around.

Beca nodded, "Yeah I know. I just need to speak to someone for a minute and then..."

The man shook his head, replying, "I'm very sorry but I must insist you..."

"Beca?"

She'd know that voice anywhere, although she wished the tone was a bit more welcoming. Beca looked past the man to the familiar face framed by wavy red hair. Chloe was wearing a stunning deep green dress, and Beca found herself wondering why she hadn't seen the redhead wear that color before.

"Hey Chlo. Can we talk for a minute?" Beca rushed out, hoping the man wouldn't physically help her leave.

"What are you doing here?" Chloe asked, still not sounding happy to see her.

Beca nervously shifted her weight, starting to reply but falling silent as Chloe's mother came up beside her, shooting her a look that told her she was most certainly not welcome.

"I needed to talk to you," Beca said, knowing it sounded a little pathetic.

Chloe stepped closer to her, hissing, "This is my sister's rehearsal dinner. What the hell were you thinking?"

Beca nodded, taking a step back. "I know... I know. I'm sorry... but please Chlo. Just hear me out for a minute."

"Chloe, she's not invited, nor is she welcome," Grace said stiffly. "Beca, please leave. Do not ruin this night for our family."

The words burned, making Beca long for the former days when Grace Beale would have warmly embraced her with one of her famous mom hugs that Beca hadn't experienced before in her life. Chloe took charge of the moment, walking forward and grabbing her by the arm.

"I'll walk her out mom," Chloe said, turning her towards the door.

Beca didn't fight it, letting Chloe lead her outside the restaurant, stumbling over her feet as they crossed over the threshold.

"Are you seriously drunk right now?" Chloe looked at her incredulously, making her feel ashamed.

"I'm not drunk... I just... would never have had the balls to do this sober," Beca stuttered out, still trying to clear her thoughts.

"You are unbelievable," Chloe retorted, turning to walk back inside.

"Wait," Beca pleaded, and to her complete shock, Chloe froze. "I can't lose you... I'm begging you. Can you turn around? Can we work this out, Chlo? I want to be with you."

Chloe spun around at that, advancing on her with a dangerous expression. "I wanted to make it work, Beca. You were the one who couldn't handle it. You were the one who was too embarrassed, too ashamed to come out and say we were together. I'm proud of who I am and the fact that we were together and I'm not going to be ashamed of who I love."

Beca nodded, feeling somewhat like a bobblehead. "I know... I know I've done a lot of things I can't undo. But I can't lose you, Chlo. I love you. I wanna be with you. Before you tell me no for the last time... I'm begging you for another chance."

Chloe had tears in her eyes as she listened to the words, but Beca had a feeling she wasn't going to be forgiven so easily.

"Beca you broke my heart. I was completely in love with you... and you..." Chloe's voice broke as she trailed off, her handing coming up to cover her mouth. "You were ashamed of us... our relationship. You wanted to keep it a secret from everyone, and I can't go through that again."

"I'm so sorry, Chlo. I'll make up for all those times," Beca promised, stepping forward to take Chloe's hand. "Just wait... I wanna be with you and I'll do anything to prove it to you. Not in secret... we can tell everyone..." She trailed off, hoping Chloe believed her.

"Do you really mean that?" Chloe's tone held hope, and it gave Beca the courage to grab her other hand.

"Yes. These past few months without you... I never want to be without you again, Chlo. I love you so much... and I'm so sorry I hurt you," Beca finished earnestly.

"Are you willing to prove it?" Chloe challenged, looking at her seriously.

Beca glanced around, the nerves returning as she said, "Uh, I guess. Did you have something in mind?"

Chloe nodded, answering, "I could use a date to this thing I have to go to tomorrow."

Beca gulped, realizing what she meant. "You... you want me to go with you to your sister's wedding? Tomorrow?"

Chloe nodded again, and Beca withheld her inner thought of, _'Anything but that.'_

"I don't want to ruin her day, Chlo," Beca stammered, adding quickly, "Just like... I'm not your family's favorite person these days... not because I don't want to go with you. Your mom probably wants to slap me more than once based on what she had to say tonight."

Chloe's eyes narrowed. "You don't have to make up excuses, Becs. We've played this game before. If you don't want to go, just say so. We'll go our separate ways and it'll be like this night never happened."

Beca's heart dropped as Chloe pulled her hands free and spun around again to go back inside.

"Wait! Just wait," she breathed, relieved when Chloe stopped again. "Can you turn around?"

Chloe faced her, and Beca bit her lip before saying softly, "I'd love to be your date to the wedding, Chlo."

Chloe still looked doubtful, replying, "You don't have to go, Bec. I know you don't want to."

"I do," Beca insisted. "I meant it... I'll do anything if you'll give us another chance. Even brave your entire family who hates me."

"They don't hate you," Chloe admitted, breaking into a small smile. "They hate how you treated me and our relationship."

To Beca those things went hand in hand, but she decided to stay silent on the matter. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?"

Chloe hummed, "Got somewhere to be?"

"Right now?" Beca asked. "I mean... no. My only plans were to wallow when you rejected me again, so I'm pretty free."

Chloe smiled, a full on Chloe smile that Beca had desperately missed since they broke up. "Come on... I'll buy you a drink," she quipped, gesturing to the restaurant.

Beca's eyes went wide at the implication. "You seriously want me to go in there?"

"Yeah, it'll be fine Becs."

Beca wasn't so sure about that, but she allowed Chloe to take her hand and lead her back inside.

* * *

"If you don't stop staring at me and eat something you'll regret it later."

Beca grinned the same dopey, lovesick smile she'd been wearing ever since Chloe appeared at the end of the aisle in that stunning white dress, not taking her eyes off the woman beside her.

"I can't help it... you look so beautiful Chlo... and now you're all mine forever."

Chloe sighed, leaning over to press a firm kiss to her lips. "I can't even be frustrated with you when you're being so mushy and adorable. But you should still eat something."

Beca accepted the bite of chicken Chloe offered her from the end of her fork, eyes widening a bit in surprise at how good it tasted. Suddenly that breakfast of a piece of toast followed up with several mimosas seemed awfully long ago.

The clinking of silverware against glasses had them chuckling happily before sharing another kiss to the cheers of the guests around them.

Chloe pulled back, whispering, "You know, I didn't think this day would ever happen. I'm so sorry your family isn't here to celebrate with us."

Beca sighed, recalling exactly how their conversation with her dad and stepmom had gone. Chloe went with her, supportive as ever, but it didn't stop the man from calling their relationship unnatural and an abomination in the eyes of God and whatever other religious shit came to his mind. Beca had known that would be the case, and it was the main reason for her refusing to come out when she and Chloe first started dating.

"Hey... if my family can't see how happy you make me, then fuck 'em. The best thing I ever did was let you feed me to the wolves that night at your sister's rehearsal dinner," Beca assured her, knowing it was true.

Chloe's mouth dropped open. "Hey! It wasn't that bad!"

Before Beca could respond, Chloe's father was speaking into a microphone to gather everyone's attention, promptly passing it to his wife when it was quiet.

Grace Beale looked every bit the stunning older woman Chloe was sure to become, and Beca reveled in the warm smile she was sending her way. It was a stark contrast to that night at the restaurant, even after Chloe brought her back inside and subtly instructed her family to be nice.

"When Chloe first told me she and Beca were a couple, I was thrilled," Grace began, looking around at the guests. "I saw how they interacted with each other at those Barden Bellas performances, and knew something was up when Chloe couldn't stop talking about her. But slowly things changed, and Chloe seemed to be more and more unhappy and frustrated, until one night she came home in tears and said nothing but that they'd broken up. Eventually we got more of the story out of her, and all I'll say is that Beca was no longer one of our family's favorite people."

Beca raised an eyebrow at Chloe, not so subtly asking where her mother was going with this.

"Beca," Grace addressed her directly, drawing her attention away from Chloe's shrug. "I couldn't believe you had the guts to show up that night, thinking you were going to ruin another one of my daughter's happiest moments. When Chloe brought you inside and told us you were joining the celebration, I wanted to smack both of you."

Chloe chuckled along with the rest of the guests at Grace's wry smile and tone, clearly suggesting the humor of her comment.

"I didn't realize that night what you had been dealing with, only that you had hurt my daughter. I allowed you to stay because I knew at one point you had made Chloe happier than I'd ever seen her before, and if she was asking you to stay there must be a reason. I now know the courage it took to come to the restaurant that night, and although I didn't feel this way at the time, I'm so glad you did! I can't imagine anyone could love Chloe the way you do, and as parents, that's all we want for our children."

Beca sniffled a little at the change of tone in her speech, feeling Chloe lock their fingers together under the table.

"Beca, I'm so sorry that your family decided not to celebrate this wonderful day with all of us, but I promise you that the Beale's could not be happier for you both. You'll always be a part of our family, and welcome at our home and in our lives forever. We love you both so much!"

Beca sniffled again and wiped carefully at her eyes, muttering, "Ugh Chlo, your mom is such a bitch... taking advantage of my already emotional state and making me cry at our wedding."

Chloe laughed as Grace finished her toast and everyone cheered, the sounds of glasses clinking drowning out anything else as the older woman came over and hugged them both.

"Thank you," Beca whispered, holding onto Grace's hug for a few more seconds. "I wasn't sure where you were going with that for a minute, but now I'm a blubbering mess so it was obviously amazing. No one's said anything like that about me before."

Grace looked her square in the eye, saying, "I meant it, Beca. You're a wonderful, talented person and we are honored to call you our daughter-in-law. It's a shame your family can't share in your happiness."

Beca gripped Chloe's hand beside her. "Fuck 'em," she repeated. "I almost lost the best thing that ever happened to me because of them. If they can't see that... or support us, it's their loss."

Chloe grinned, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "Damn right, baby. Now mom if you'll excuse us... I want to dance with my wife."

* * *

 **A/N: As always, thanks to my beta Arsto!**

 **These two popped into my head randomly, but I haven't forgotten about your requests!**

 **Thanks for reading, reviewing, and requesting new songs!**


	7. Hurricane - Luke Combs

**Hurricane – Luke Combs**

 _Knew it was_ _gonna_ _be a long night_

 _From the moment when we locked eyes over whiskey on ice_

 _Started talking 'bout us again_

 _If I_ _woulda_ _just laid my drink down_

 _And walked out_

 _I wouldn't be in my truck_

 _Driving us to your house_

 _But you rolled in with your hair in the wind baby without warning_

 _I was doing alright but just your sight had my heart storming_

 _The moon went hiding_

 _Stars quit shining_

 _The rain was dropping_

 _Thunder, lightning_

 _You wrecked my whole world when you came_

 _And hit me like a hurricane_

* * *

"Come on, Chlo. It's been forever since you went out with us. It'll be fun."

Chloe glanced over at Aubrey, uncertainty painted across her face. Aubrey wasn't wrong, but Chloe hadn't felt like going out since she heard the news. It wasn't really Beca's fault, knowing the brunette wouldn't wait for her forever, but it still hurt finding out she'd agreed to move across the country to LA. It had been her dream since Chloe first met her, and she couldn't hate Beca for jumping at the chance. She hadn't given her a reason to stay, especially after the fiasco that was her relationship with Chicago. Of all the mistakes she'd made, Chloe regretted that one the most.

"I don't know, Bree," Chloe sighed, looking down at her hands. "It's not really the same... you know?"

Aubrey huffed, "You mean since you hooked up with that military tool and Beca finally gave up hope? Can you blame her for distancing herself?"

Chloe felt like crying at the way Aubrey refused to hold back the harsh words. "I know! I know I fucked up, okay?"

"Okay," Aubrey's voice was soft as she sank down onto the couch beside her. "But I don't even think Beca's in New York right now, so we won't run into her. Hell, even if she is she never goes out. We'll go to that place you used to love, have a few drinks, and just have fun for a night. Sound good?"

Chloe hesitated for another long moment, before finally nodding in agreement. "Okay."

She fought back against the growing dread in her chest and got up to get ready.

* * *

"I'm driving Bree, and nothing you can say will stop me. The last thing I need to do tonight is get drunk and do something I'll regret in the morning. I've got enough of those to last a lifetime."

Aubrey wisely decided not to argue with her, and Chloe felt a little bit of satisfaction at winning that one so easily. She grabbed the keys to her old pickup truck that once belonged to her grandfather, climbing behind the wheel and breathing in the scent of old leather. She didn't drive much in the city, but wanted to have some measure of control over when she could make her escape tonight.

Jessica, Ashley, and Denise were already at the bar waiting for them, cheering excitedly when they saw Chloe. She returned their smiles and hugs, realizing in the moment how much she'd missed spending time with her girls.

"We're glad you made it, Chlo," Jessica said, going in for one more hug. "It's been too long."

Chloe nodded, whispering a thanks as a beer was set in front of her. "I know, I was just..." She trailed off, not knowing exactly how to finish her excuse.

"We know," Ashley said simply, shooting her a comforting smile. "It's okay."

Aubrey interrupted the moment, deciding the mood was far too somber. "Okay, that's enough of that. Let's do shots, pitches!"

The rest of the girls cheered as Chloe shook her head, knowing shots were not in her future tonight but equally excited to see the rest of her friends get a little crazy. After a few rounds, they dragged her onto the dance floor, determined to wipe that frown off her face for the rest of the evening.

* * *

Chloe studied her reflection for another second before exiting the bathroom, her eyes scanning the bar to see where her friends had disappeared to. Her eyes caught on the blonde hair belonging to Aubrey, only taking a second to realize who she was talking to. Chloe's heart plummeted as she recognized the tall, leggy brunette standing in front of her best friend, her eyes moving instantly to the two women beside her. She'd recognize Stacie, Fat Amy, and Cynthia Rose anywhere, and wondered what the odds were that they would run into Beca's best friends that evening.

Chloe slowly made her way towards the door, not interested in joining the conversations currently happening over by their table. Before she'd taken more than a few steps, the door opened and Chloe's heart stopped at the sight of the short brunette that entered. Beca was just as beautiful as she remembered, despite it being months since she'd last seen her in person. Chloe thought she'd been on her way to moving on, but one look at Beca had her spiraling back down into her hole of regret, amazed at the hurricane of emotions Beca could still draw out of her.

Beca glanced around the bar before her eyes locked on Chloe's, going slightly wide before starting towards her through the crowd. Chloe quickly wondered if she could escape this confrontation, deciding that to bail now would not be her most flattering option and instead waited patiently for Beca to approach her.

"Hey Chlo," Beca said once she was close enough to be heard over the music and chatter. "Long time."

Chloe nodded, not trusting herself to speak immediately.

"Can I buy you a drink?"

Chloe swallowed, knowing it was a terrible idea. "Yeah, sure."

Beca led her towards the bar, Chloe actively fighting to keep her eyes from studying every detail. She didn't know if she'd get the chance again, but also didn't want Beca to spin around and catch her.

"Whiskey on the rocks and..." Beca trailed off with a thoughtful glance back at her. "And an Amaretto Sour please."

Chloe's heart raced a bit at the fact Beca remembered her favorite drink, completely forgetting the fact she wasn't planning on drinking liquor that evening.

Beca slipped the bartender a credit card and instructed him to start a tab, passing Chloe the glass as she gestured for her to take a seat beside her. Chloe perched herself on a stool, glancing first at Beca's drink before moving her gaze up to meet her dark blue eyes.

"What are you doing here, Beca? I thought you'd left for LA?" Chloe asked, desperately trying to keep her tone curious and unassuming.

Beca shrugged, "I've been in LA for the past few months. Needed a weekend away with friends, you know? Stacie and Fat Amy and CR are around here somewhere."

Chloe nodded, "Yeah, they already found Aubrey. She along with Jessica, Ashley, and Denise convinced me to come out tonight."

"Since when do you need a reason to go out?" Beca said with a small smile, clearly remembering a different Chloe than the one seated beside her.

"Since things changed." Chloe sipped her drink, refusing to meet Beca's eyes again.

Beca froze with her glass halfway to her lips, returning it back to the bar. "What's going on, Chlo? Are you okay?"

Chloe debated lying, not wanting the brunette to see how much she was struggling, but gave in to the temptation to finally be honest about her feelings. "No... no, I'm not. I haven't been for a while now."

Beca's concern was palpable, looking around as if to summon her friends. "Do you need Bree or something? How long?"

"Since the tour, Bec... since we stopped being friends."

Beca froze, slowly rotating in her seat to face her again. "Chlo... that's not what I... I'm sorry. I just couldn't..."

Chloe knew what she was trying to say, despite being unable to get the words out. To her surprise, Beca was able to finish her thought before Chloe interrupted.

"I couldn't watch you be with him. I know that's not fair of me since I never told you how I felt, but I couldn't do it. It hurt too much."

Chloe felt each word like a needle driving through her heart, wondering how she could have possible made such a colossal mistake. At the time she told herself that it was nice for someone to finally show an interest in her, someone that wasn't afraid to put themselves and their feelings out there. She'd gotten frustrated with Beca's lack of initiative, at least publicly, and gravitated toward the handsome soldier who wasn't afraid to shower her with affection.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and Beca's eyes shot straight to hers. "I'm so sorry, Bec. I knew how you felt... I mean, I didn't but looking back I should have. I made a mistake..."

Beca shook her head, finally bringing her glass to her lips for a long sip. "It's fine, Chlo. I understand that I should have told you how I felt a long time ago. You had every right to choose to be with someone who wasn't afraid to do that. I thought the worst thing that could happen to me was you rejecting me, and it took seeing you with him to realize that I was wrong."

Chloe sniffed, barely able to keep her tears at bay. This was so not how she saw tonight going, and the trip down memory lane was only serving to remind her of exactly how she'd lost Beca.

"How is he, anyways? Soldier boy."

Chloe's eyes narrowed, wondering why on Earth Beca would think they were still together. "What are you talking about? We're not together."

Beca perked up a little at that information. "Really? Since when?"

"Since like a week after the tour, Bec. I realized the mistake I'd made, but it was too late," Chloe admitted, looking back down at her drink.

"So you're single?"

Even Chloe could recognize the hope in the brunette's tone, forcing herself to look back up at her and nod.

"Do you still... still..." Beca hesitated again, her nervousness back. "Can we go somewhere else? Maybe a little more private?"

Chloe nodded immediately, realizing exactly what Beca had been unable to say and pulled the keys to her truck from her purse. "Yeah, let's go."

* * *

Chloe had a profound sense of déjà vu as she looked around the small apartment she'd once shared with Beca and Fat Amy, stunned that Beca had kept it for when she needed to be in New York. A look to the side had a soft smile gracing her face at Beca sleeping peacefully beside her the way they used to, though with admittedly less clothing this time. Unable to help herself, Chloe leaned over and placed a kiss on Beca's lips, wondering how many times over the past months she'd wished to be able to do that.

Beca stirred at the contact, eyes opening sleepily to look adoringly up at Chloe. "Hey."

Chloe smiled back, sliding down to press a firmer kiss to her mouth, tugging the sheet down to slide her body on top of Beca's. "Hey."

"Mmm, I could get used to this," Beca murmured, trailing her fingertips along Chloe's back.

Chloe sighed happily, tucking her face into the crook of Beca's neck. "Me too."

* * *

 **A/N: As always, a huge shoutout to my beta Arsto!**

 **We are officially working on our next multi-chapter fic! Full disclosure, it will be a The 100/Clexa fic, and we're both super excited to be exploring a new world with such intricate and diverse characters. Hopefully you guys will come along for the ride. You won't have to have seen the show to follow along, but it definitely wouldn't hurt.**

 **The timeline for that is a bit uncertain, so we'll still be posting these Bechloe songfic oneshots in the meantime. I promise I STILL haven't forgotten about your requests, so look forward to those coming soon :-).**

 **Thanks for reading, reviewing, and requesting new songs!**


	8. Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not - TS

**Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not – Thompson Square**

 **A/N: Hello! As promised, I will not be abandoning these songfic one shots.** **I have all your requests in a folder and will work my way through them (in no particular order) before I move on to songs/ideas of my own :-).**

 **A guest requested this one, so unfortunately I can't give a shoutout to a particular person. Guest, if you're out there feel free to claim it!**

 _Are you gonna kiss me or not?_

 _Are we gonna do this or what?_

 _I think you know I like you a lot_

 _But you're 'bout to miss your shot_

 _Are you gonna kiss me or not?_

* * *

Chloe's eyes locked onto the approaching brunette, her mind going completely blank except for the irresistible urge to talk to her. She had to know who this girl was, with her eyeliner and piercings and adorable scowl.

"Aubrey, what about her?" Chloe asked, her eyes never leaving the short brunette.

Aubrey sucked in a breath from beside her, replying, "I don't know, Chloe. She looks a little too alternative."

Chloe ignored her friend, calling the girl over and immediately thrusting a flyer into her hand. She prayed that this girl could sing, hoping to spend a lot more time with her. If they happened to end up happily married forever, so be it.

Their conversation did not go as planned, the brunette eventually slinking away with a sly smile, saying, "I don't even sing, but it was really nice to meet you guys."

Chloe's heart sunk as she walked away, realizing after a minute she never even got her name. "Damnit, Bree! You couldn't have eased up a little bit? She was so hot!"

Aubrey glared at her. "For serious, Chloe?! This is about the Bellas! And besides, you could do so much better than that snarky midget."

Chloe frowned, her immediate reaction was to object to Aubrey's nickname for the girl.

"Just keep flyering," Aubrey finished, moving a few steps away and failing to attract another girl into a conversation about their group.

* * *

It had been a month since the Activities Fair and despite knowing the brunette was a student, Chloe hadn't seen her anywhere around campus. It was depressing and frustrating and annoying, and she found herself seeking out Tom for a little stress relief before auditions at the end of the week. He was fun and easy and simple and neither of them were looking for anything serious. He was also an RA in a dorm on campus, which meant endless hot water and no bill to worry about when they decided to hook up in the showers.

Tom was trailing kisses over her neck when they heard the door open, making both of them freeze.

"Who the fuck is that?" Tom whispered, clearly frustrated. "Who takes a shower in the middle of the day?"

Chloe rolled her eyes, saved from responding at the voice suddenly echoing around the bathroom. It was mesmerizing, floating easily around the room making her fall in love almost instantly. The only thought in Chloe's mind was that they needed this girl for the Bellas. The rest of their recruiting had not gone well and Chloe knew they'd need every last person they could find, especially one with a voice like an angel.

Without a second thought, Chloe left Tom slack-jawed in their shower stall and strode confidently to the only other stall with the water on, pausing outside for a moment as the girl started to sing louder. Before she thought about any consequences of her actions, Chloe slowly pulled the shower curtain back to reveal none other than the sexy brunette that had been the object of her thoughts since the day they met.

"You can sing!" Chloe exclaimed, wondering if this day could possibly get any better.

The girl freaked out, which in retrospect Chloe couldn't exactly blame her for, but after displaying her persistence and obvious lack of boundaries, they sang and harmonized together and Chloe couldn't keep the wide grin off her face.

At the girl's obvious glance down her body before looking straight up at the ceiling, Chloe smirked and said, "I'm pretty confident about… all this."

The brunette turned bright red, eyes returning bravely to meet her own. "You should be."

The rest of their interaction was a blur as Chloe tried to hand her the bathrobe on the hook outside the stall and Tom showed up to also compliment her voice which seemed to make the girl angry. Chloe brushed off Tom's suggestive look as he tried to get her to return to their stall, grabbing her own clothes and quickly left the bathroom. Somehow she knew the girl would show up at auditions, only realizing later that evening back at her and Aubrey's apartment that she still didn't know her name.

* * *

Beca. Chloe finally learned her mystery brunette's name, although much to her dismay it was because of some Treble squawking it like some awful bird. Chloe had no idea what the girl saw in him anyways. The boy followed her around like a lost puppy, and while Beca didn't seem to show much interest she also didn't dissuade him either. She also didn't deny anything when Aubrey confronted her about it at rehearsal one day, which made Chloe's stomach drop a little and Aubrey shoot her a look that clearly said, "SEE?!"

It was easy to brush all of that aside in this current moment though, Chloe's eyes locked onto Beca's ass as she moved with the beat of the song she was singing in the empty pool. It really should be illegal for her to look that good, and Chloe was doing her best to ignore that it was Jesse's taunting that brought it out of her. The sight of the feisty brunette rapping before switching into the easy crooning was almost more than Chloe could handle.

Of course they lost on a technicality which was completely ridiculous, and of course Aubrey berated the whole group instead of focusing on the positives that they'd achieved at the Riff Off, but Chloe had other things on her mind than bring that to her attention… like the way Beca and Jesse had left the pool together laughing and shoving at each other until they were out of sight.

"Chlo, I swear if she's treble-boning that guy she's out. I don't care how big a crush you have on her."

Chloe sighed and shook her head, not bothering with a response. She knew Aubrey was only looking out for her feelings, but it wasn't very helpful.

"You can do better than her, Chlo."

* * *

Chloe hesitated as all the girls filed out of Beca's dorm room one by one, staying behind as the brunette sat deflated at her desk. She could tell that Beca had the best intentions for their group, and was starting to get frustrated with Aubrey for not listening or being willing to change.

"I mean it, you know," Chloe said softly, freezing as Beca jerked around to look at her in surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't realize anyone was still here," Beca said, regaining her composure.

Chloe took a step back, offering, "I can go…"

Beca shook her head. "No, it's okay. Why do you… why don't you stand up to her? We're not going to win if we don't change."

Chloe sighed, moving to sit on Beca's bed closer to her. "Aubrey is just scarred by what happened last year. She's got it in her head that if we do everything exactly the same, without the puking part, that we'll win."

"She's insane," Beca laughed, taking most of the heat out of her words. "I really don't know what's happening to me, but I could mix something up for us that would be completely original… something that would really set us apart."

Chloe held her breath as Beca rose from her chair and joined her on the bed. It was as close as they'd been since Chloe had to help her early on with choreography, and she felt her heart start to race.

"I don't want to talk about Aubrey," Beca finally said, glancing at her. "Tell me something about you?"

Chloe's breath hitched, wondering what would be appropriate to say right now. 'I'm super into you. You're crazy talented. I want to kiss you.' Pushing all those thoughts aside, Chloe tried to think of something more appropriate, but apparently she took a little too long as Beca broke the silence.

"Something other than the fact you like to barge naked into people's showers."

Chloe laughed, that particular memory always bringing her joy. "What can I say, your voice is irresistible."

Beca laughed with her, shaking her head. "Your lack of impulse control might get you arrested some day."

Chloe winked at her, "Takes one to know one."

"Touché, Beale."

* * *

They ended up back at the empty pool after what felt like a lifetime of struggles during the year. Aubrey finally released control and threw up all over their rehearsal space, eventually admitting that they needed to change and trusted Beca to lead the group in a new direction. Everything they'd been through only made coming together that much sweeter.

Chloe nodded when Beca asked her to take the lead, wondering if there was a better song out there that conveyed her feelings towards the brunette. She would sing this song even if her nodes killed her, wondering if the way Beca's eyes never left hers meant she felt the same way.

When Beca mixed in Just a Dream, Chloe's heart felt like it would burst. The regret she'd felt when Beca abandoned the group after Chloe didn't stick up for her was long gone now that they'd forgiven each other, and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that they were going to win Nationals. To top it off, they finally resolved the on three or after three debate to learn that Chloe's messed up vocal chords allowed her to hit the base notes, not allowing her to be embarrassed for a second at the deep sound that erupted from her throat.

Beca looked particularly pleased, walking away that night arm in arm with Chloe as they discussed possible songs to put in the mashup. They spent the night sprawled over the couches in Chloe's apartment, talking and trading music ideas before succumbing to exhaustion to fall asleep side by side watching YouTube videos.

* * *

Chloe struck the final pose in time to hear the audience erupt in applause, grinning from ear to ear at how well their performance had gone. She almost did a double take when she saw Aubrey strip off some piece of clothing, it being the last thing she'd expect from the blonde but was thrilled at the overjoyed smile on her friend's face.

The rest of the Bella's exploded in happiness around her, hugging and cheering and celebrating off the stage toward their assigned section in the crowd behind the Trebles. Chloe saw Jesse grinning from ear to ear at Beca, feeling her stomach drop just a bit as the brunette walked ahead of her before spinning around to face her.

Chloe held her breath as Beca's perfume hit her nose, wondering how she always smelled so damn good. She met Beca's deep blue eyes before the brunette drew her into a tight hug.

"That was the most incredible thing ever," Beca said excitedly. "We crushed it!"

Chloe grinned back at her, feeding off her energy. "Totes," she barely got out, finding her voice stuck at how beautiful the brunette was in this moment.

Beca studied her for a moment before her lips curled into a smirk. "So Beale, are you gonna kiss me or not?"

Chloe's eyes widened at her words, unsure if she heard her correctly with all the noise and craziness happening around them. Beca's eyes were bright and unblinking as they held her own, and Chloe finally knew that Beca felt the same way she did. That she hadn't misread all the signs Beca had thrown her way this year, and she certainly wasn't going to pass up this opportunity.

Chloe slid her hand along Beca's jaw and smoothly connected their lips, the feeling unlike anything she'd ever experienced. The Bellas were whistling and cheering all around them, seemingly celebrating them as much as their ICCA win which only made the happiness in Chloe's heart expand even more, if that was even possible.

Beca's arms came up to rest over her shoulders, pulling Chloe tighter to her as she deepened the kiss. Chloe never wanted to stop kissing Beca, but all good things must come to an end, and the brunette slowly pulled way with a satisfied smile.

"So… are we gonna do this or what?" Beca asked, her eyes never leaving Chloe's.

Chloe shrugged, answering, "I think you know I like you… a lot."

Beca laughed, nodding. "Well I'm pretty sure Jesse's planning to ask me out so… you're about to miss your shot," she teased with a glance behind her at the boy.

Chloe scoffed, following her gaze at the poor Treble who's jaw would be on the floor if it was any lower. She almost felt bad for him… almost. She definitely was not about to miss her shot with Beca… not if her life depended on it.

Chloe simply turned Beca's face back towards her own and reconnected their lips, kissing her firmly. "I'd be an idiot to let you go."

* * *

Chloe sighed happily as Beca leaned into her on the blanket as the ocean waves calmly crashed into the shore over and over again. They'd just watched the sunset on their first night back together in months, and Chloe felt more at peace than she'd been in a long time. Long distance was tough but they'd officially gotten through it, and by this time next month Beca would be moved into Chloe's apartment in New York City.

Chloe was so proud of Beca for sticking it out at Barden instead of bailing for LA like she'd originally planned when she arrived on campus, despite the fact that Chloe graduated and accepted a spot at NYU Medical School. It hadn't been easy, but they'd made it and now Chloe felt the engagement ring weighing heavily in her pocket. She couldn't wait any longer to give it to the love of her life, slowly untangling herself from Beca to stand up and stretch.

Beca followed her lead, standing up and helping her shake the sand off the blanket before starting to walk back towards Chloe's parents house on the beach in Florida. The warm weather perfectly contrasted by the cool breeze coming off the ocean, and Chloe knew this was the moment. This was it.

Chloe grabbed Beca's hand, forcing her to stop and turn around to face her.

Beca raised an eyebrow, asking, "What's up? I thought we…"

Chloe reveled in the way her voice trailed off as she fell to one knee, the realization crossing Beca's face as she reached into her pocket and pulled out the small box.

"Bec, the past four years have been the best and worst of my life. The best because I met and fell completely in love with you, and the worst because we've been apart for most of them. I never want to be apart from you again," Chloe said, taking a deep breath as Beca fought the tears in her eyes. "Will you marry me?"

Chloe smiled nervously, flipping open the box to reveal the small diamond. She couldn't afford a big ring, but she knew Beca wouldn't care about that anyways, and the way the brunette's eyes shone proudly as she slid the ring on her finger made Chloe's heart burst with love.

"So… are we gonna do this or what?" Chloe said, repeating Beca's words back at her from before they started dating as she watched Beca stare at her finger for a moment.

Beca's eyes shot to hers, her lips breaking into a smile. "I don't know… are you gonna kiss me or not?"

Chloe beamed back at her, standing up and pulling Beca into her arms immediately. They'd exchanged hundreds of kisses since that first one, but each one with Beca only seemed to be better than the last. Their lips moved together in a familiar dance, making Chloe's skin burn hot.

Chloe pulled back, placing one more soft kiss against Beca's lips, murmuring, "I think you know I love you a lot."

Beca nodded, answering, "I love you too, Chlo. I think we've got a real good shot."

Chloe laughed, the tears finally overflowing and running down her cheeks. "Yeah Bec… me too."

* * *

June. God, of all months why on Earth did Chloe agree to a June wedding on the beach in Florida. Because Beca had wanted it. She wanted to return to the exact spot Chloe had proposed, almost exactly one year from the day they got engaged and Chloe was powerless to deny her. Also, they lived in New York and Beca had jumped at the chance to escape to someplace warm.

Not even the breeze coming off the ocean could cool the fire that started in Chloe when she saw Beca walking towards her up the aisle. All the months of planning were so worth it to see Beca in that gorgeous white linen dress walking barefoot through the sand to become her wife. All the fights over the guest list and the cake and the honeymoon were the farthest thing from Chloe's mind as the service began, having eyes only for her gorgeous, soon-to-be wife.

Chloe heard Beca repeat her vows after the officiant, doing the same immediately after. It was passing by in a blur, the only thing truly holding her gaze was the steady blue of Beca's eyes, unblinkingly holding her own. A question registered somewhere in the back of her mind, before suddenly the officiant and Beca were both looking at her expectantly.

Chloe took a breath, her voice ringing out clearly, "I do."

Beca grinned at her, waiting for her own prompt before answering, "I do."

The officiant said a few more words, before announcing them married. Chloe beamed at her wife, knowing there was only one thing left to do.

Chloe purposely curled her lips into her best impression of Beca's smirk.

"Are you gonna kiss me or not?"

* * *

 **A/N: As always, Arsto... I couldn't do this without you!**

 **A little more info on where we are right now: Arsto and I are hard at work on our 100/Clexa fic. It's been great, and we're having a blast creating our own version of that world. Due to several different factors (Different languages/Plot Changes/Burnout/These Songfics) it will probably be a while before we start posting chapters. It doesn't even have a title yet, so... that's about where we're at.**

 **We'll continue to give little updates on our progress with that multi-chapter story with these one shot updates, for those of you that are interested.**

 **If you're still following along after us, THANK YOU! We can't wait to share our newest vision with you!**


	9. Calm After The Storm-The Common Linnets

**Calm After The Storm – The Common Linnets**

 **A/N: It's been far too long. Things got crazy and to say writing got pushed to the back burner would be a gross understatement. But I missed it a lot and was really happy to find some inspiration to finish this oneshot (which I got the idea for months ago).**

 ***The Italics are Flashbacks**

 **Shoutout to C1990 who requested this song!**

 _Driving in the fast lane_

 _Counting mile marker signs_

 _The empty seat beside me_

 _Keeps you on my mind_

 _Livin' in the heartache_

 _Was never something I pursued_

 _I can't keep on chasing_

 _What I can't be for you_

 _Ooh the skies are black and blue_

 _I'm thinking about you_

 _Here in the calm after the storm_

* * *

Beca flipped on her signal, easing into the fast lane to pass a slower car. The pounding rain on her windshield had finally let up, giving way to still dark, blueish-black clouds. She loved thunderstorms, finding them amazing and fascinating and powerful, but they were wholly unwelcome experiences while driving. The combination of rain and darkness making it nearly impossible to see two feet in front of her, eventually resigned to pull over and wait until the downpour slowed.

Beca was currently in the middle of nowhere, about halfway through her drive across the country to California where her new life awaited, but her eyes kept straying between the fast-passing mile marker signs on the edge of the road to the empty passenger seat beside her. The twinge in her chest was growing more and more annoying, running her fingers through her hair as she played with the radio trying to find a station. The familiar notes of Ace of Base had her rolling her eyes and quickly jamming the power button with a finger, resigned to letting her thoughts fill the silence.

* * *

 _They won. Holy shit they actually won. Beca had to actively fight to keep her jaw from hitting the floor as the rest of the Bellas celebrated around her. She only had a few seconds before strong arms wrapped around her and lifted her clear off the ground._

" _Awww yeah shortstack! We did it!"_

 _Beca squirmed uncomfortably until Fat Amy released her, though she was unable to keep the grin off her face. "Yeah we did."_

 _The hugs and celebrations continued around her, but when Chloe wrapped her in a tight embrace everything went a little quiet._

" _Thank you so much, Beca," Chloe whispered in her ear, her voice leaving no doubt in Beca's mind the redhead was either close to tears or already crying._

" _I mean, it was a team effort," Beca said, wanting to smack the awkwardness right out of her body._

 _Chloe pulled back and Beca could see the waterworks ready behind her light blue eyes. "We couldn't have done it without you… I couldn't have done this without you."_

 _Beca sucked in a deep breath, knowing they had been flirting around their attraction to each other all year long. "Me either, Chlo. I mean… I never could have survived this year without you… and all these weirdos."_

* * *

The rain had lightened significantly, still lightly falling as stubbornly as the persistent ache in Beca's chest that refused to subside since she drove away from Barden's campus. She refused to cry over something that never was, rolling her eyes whenever the burning sensation of tears threatened to win that internal battle.

"We were never even fucking together!"

Shouting didn't help. Everyone had known there was something between them. It was as obvious as Aubrey's control issues, or Stacie's inability to not turn a situation sexual.

"I made the right choice."

She'd said those words aloud and in her mind at least a thousand times in the hours on the road. Beca knew it was the truth, but that didn't mean it hurt any less.

"I made the right choice."

* * *

" _I'm not graduating."_

 _Beca stared at Chloe, desperately trying to process what the redhead was saying._

" _What do you mean? You're the smartest person I know, Chlo. You're going to medical school…" Beca trailed off, more confused than ever._

 _Chloe shook her head, shrugging lightly. "I failed Russian Lit."_

 _Beca frowned, recalling the nights Chloe had stayed up late in her dorm room pouring over books and dictionaries while she worked on mixes. Something inside her knew it was wrong… it didn't feel right._

" _I'll be back here at Barden next year," Chloe said, her voice heavy with something Beca couldn't recognize. "With the Bellas."_

 _With you._

 _It wasn't said aloud, but Beca heard it clear as day._

" _I'm going to LA."_

 _It was Chloe's turn to stare at her, eyes going slightly wider at her admission before her brow furrowed in confusion._

" _But… I thought you…"_

 _Beca shook her head. "That was the deal. I stayed one year, I put myself out there, I got decent grades. My dad is paying for me to go to LA. I held up my end, and I'll give him credit… he's holding up his end."_

 _Chloe stood frozen, Beca forcing herself to look away from the tears clearly forming in her eyes._

" _Bec… don't go."_

 _Beca could feel it. The charged energy that was always between them, an incredible pull that made her want to wrap her arms around Chloe and never let go. But for all that had happened that year, neither one of them had been brave enough to take the leap. To confess their feelings and put themselves out there and acknowledge the attraction between them._

 _For a second she wondered if she was making the wrong decision… wondered if staying was better than goodbye. Ultimately, Beca knew the choice was already made… knowing she would never forgive herself for not going after her dream. The one thing Chloe was asking of her was the one thing she couldn't do._

* * *

Eventually the rain stopped and the dark clouds faded into a less ominous black and blue mixture. Beca was consumed by her thoughts and memories, wondering if she should have done something differently, if she should have apologized for the way she left things. It wasn't an option though, she knew it. Lying to Chloe was never an option… it would have killed her to do it.

"I'm not sorry for knowing what I want."

Beca still wasn't sure if the talking out loud was helping or hurting, but she could admit it felt good to get her feelings out even if no one was there to listen. Banging her palms on the steering wheel felt good too, though she decided against further attempts after one slightly too aggressive slam left the base of her thumb throbbing.

"I didn't want this. I just wanted to get through one year and start my life!"

Deep down Beca knew none of that mattered anymore. It didn't matter that she'd been forced to attend Barden, didn't matter that she'd been forced to join the Bellas, didn't matter that the past year had basically been blackmail. Falling in love had never been part of the plan, yet here she was driving across the country with what felt like a gigantic hole in her chest.

"I made the right choice."

* * *

Beca pushed open the door to her favorite coffee shop, a little hole in the wall place that had the best dark roast she'd ever tasted. It was off the beaten path and she'd taken the long way to work every day for the past two years just for that cup of heaven. It hadn't been easy, but with a bit of luck she'd gotten hired on as a junior producer at a record label about six months after arriving in Los Angeles. It was the best two years of her life and things were looking up as her mentor and senior producer was already giving her more and more control.

"Chloe!"

Beca's head snapped up at the sound of the barista calling that name, feeling her heart immediately start to race. Her eyes darted around the small shop before resting on the woman reaching for the cup, heart falling just as quickly at the tall blonde. Shaking her head, she approached the counter, forcing a smile when the girl behind the register greeted her by name.

"Hey Beca. The usual today?"

Beca nodded, already reaching into her bag for her wallet.

* * *

Beca stood outside the auditorium, taking a moment to compose herself for what was to come. She had decided to attend at the last minute, going back and forth over the decision for weeks until hopping on a last-minute flight across the country. Beca pulled the invitation out of her jacket pocket, clearly remembering the day she ripped the envelope open and learned about the reunion.

Five years. Five years ago they'd won the ICCA's. Five years since she last spoke to Chloe. Five years since she'd left her heart behind and followed her dream and her passion to Los Angeles.

Beca took a deep breath and reached for the door handle. She easily passed through the lobby and opened the door that lead to the theater, finding it completely appropriate that they were holding the reunion where auditions had brought the strange group together five years ago. Beca took two steps inside the theater, freezing in place as she realized she was most definitely not at all ready for this.

Her eyes instantly spotted Chloe. Five years had done absolutely nothing to slow the way her heart started beating rapidly at just the sight of the woman. God, she was even more beautiful than Beca remembered, wide smile in place at having all the Bellas back together again. What she wasn't expecting was to see Chloe's arm wrapped comfortably around girl's waist, pressed close into her side in a way that Beca knew she must have done countless times before. It was like ice running through her veins, making her want to turn around and flee before anyone noticed her presence.

Of course she'd have found someone. She's fucking Chloe Beale. Literal ray of sunshine.

Before she could turn and make a run for it, the door behind her opened and of fucking course Aubrey Posen would be the one to walk through.

"Beca! I must say I wasn't expecting you to come, but I'm glad you did!"

Beca's eyes widened as Aubrey wrapped her in a hug, almost forgetting to return it and closing her arms around the blonde quickly before she pulled back.

"Hey Aubrey… I was actually just…"

Aubrey raised an eyebrow at her, taking a moment to glance past her towards the stage before pulling her back farther into the shadows so they wouldn't be noticed by the group on stage.

"Beca… you did the right thing."

Beca stared at her, feeling her heartbeat pick back up and patter rapidly inside her chest.

"I don't know what you're…"

Aubrey rolled her eyes, "Yes you do. You made the right decision to leave and go to LA. You could have done it with a bit more tact and grace, but it was the right thing."

Beca sighed, "I lost her, Aubrey. I don't know if it was worth it. I never even told her how I felt."

"Please, the entire campus knew how you two felt about each other," Aubrey scoffed. "Except that one Treble… he was a moron though. Anyways, yeah, you left, and it was probably the worst way possible, but it was right. Chloe failed a class to be with you. She literally put her entire life and future in jeopardy to be with you. How is that healthy? It's no better than if you had stayed here just for her."

Beca opened her mouth to answer, eventually shutting it when she realized Aubrey wasn't finished.

"It wasn't your time. You both needed to go your separate ways and follow your dreams and figure out who you are. Even if you knew it was selfish… which it was… it was still the right thing to do, Beca, and you shouldn't regret it."

Beca glanced back towards the stage, still feeling that heavy pit in her stomach. "It doesn't really matter anymore though, does it? I hurt her and she moved on and whatever we might have had is gone."

Aubrey stared at her for a moment, before shrugging. "Well you knew the risk of leaving, time to face the music," she added with a wink, tugging her towards the stage. "Also, that's her married roommate from med school."

Beca froze at those words, feeling hope blossom in her chest. "Really?"

Aubrey glanced back over her shoulder, "Yes, for serious. Chloe's not the same person you left five years ago… but then again, neither are you. The two of you should meet."

Beca found herself nodding as Aubrey practically pranced down the aisle toward the Bellas, breaking into a grin as they noticed her and shrieked her name. Aubrey had changed quite a bit herself since the year Beca had spent with her. Thank God for that.

Beca looked up towards the stage and froze in place as her eyes met Chloe's.

"Now or never, Bec," she murmured to herself.

Taking a deep breath, she started her own descent towards the stage.

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks to Arsto, the best beta ever, for not only sticking with me through my writing slump but for COMING TO VISIT ME!**

 **We definitely took a writing break, but are planning to get back to work on our 100 fic. It is not posted anywhere yet, as I knew this year would be crazy and I didn't want to keep people waiting months for updates. I'd say look for chapters starting in late January or early February.**


	10. Take Your Time Part 2 - Sam Hunt

**Take Your Time Part 2: Sam Hunt**

 **A/N: I'm not going to make a habit of this, but due to multiple requests we've written a Part 2. Part 1 is Chapter 5, and eventually I'll reorder the chapters so this follows the first.**

 **Requested by: Hopefully0308, lbj23sload, and multiple Guests**

* * *

Beca stared at the new text, blinking a few times to make sure she was reading it right.

 _CB [7:42PM]: Hey! I'm back in NYC next week. Dinner?_

"Well that was faster than I thought," Beca muttered to herself, earning a strange look from the person seated across from her on the subway.

A little over a month had gone by since the night she'd met Chloe Beale, and Beca still wondered sometimes if she had dreamed the entire experience. What are the odds she'd get stood up by one of her best friends only to end up making out with a famous actress in her empty studio at two in the morning.

They'd exchanged a few texts since then, but Beca never thought Chloe would actually want to see her again in person. She was totally fine with being the redhead's random hookup one night, knowing that people like Chloe didn't end up with someone like her. Not in real life anyways.

Shrugging and figuring she had nothing to lose, Beca typed out a quick reply.

 _Beca [7:50PM]: Sure. Sounds good_

Short and to the point. Solid.

She felt pretty good about that, not wanting to sound too eager to see the beautiful actress again. Dating hadn't been at the forefront of her life, not that she'd actually consider this a date, but it would still be nice to get out for an evening instead of holing back up in her tiny apartment.

Her phone chimed with a reply far faster than she expected.

 _CB [7:51PM]: Awes! How's Tuesday? That's my only free day_

Ah yes, Tuesday. The obvious choice for a date night. Any chance of it being an actual date in her mind went out the window with those words, allowing Beca to relax a bit.

 _Beca [7:53PM]: I'll have to check my schedule. My Tuesdays are usually slammed_

 _CB [7:54PM]: I'm sure_

 _CB[7:55PM]: Don't hate on Tuesdays_

Beca chuckled, happy that Chloe seemed to pick right up on her sarcasm.

 _Beca [7:57PM]: Wouldn't dream of it. Most important life events happen on a Tuesday_

 _CB [7:58PM]: Well I wouldn't want to take you away from something important. I can try to clear off Wednesday if it means that much to you, but I fly back to LA Thursday so that's my final offer_

 _Beca [8:00PM]: It's a tough decision, but I'll stick with Tuesday._

 _CB [8:02PM]: Done. See you next week ;-)_

Beca raised an eyebrow at the winky face emoji, definitely feeling like the redhead was sending some flirty vibes her way before coming back down to Earth.

"Relax idiot… it's a fucking Tuesday."

The woman across from her shot her another nervous look, making her smile awkwardly to cover up for the whole talking to herself thing before resigning herself to the fact the woman definitely thought she was insane. Then again, she was debating whether or not her plans next week to hang out with a superstar actress counted as a date or not, so maybe the woman wasn't so far off.

* * *

"Wait, what? Say that again."

Beca shrugged at Jesse's incredulous tone, repeating, "I'm hanging out with Chloe Beale tomorrow night."

Jesse shook his head as if he still didn't quite understand. "Chloe Beale as in Chloe Beale the Oscar-winning actress? As in the EGOT-winner Chloe Beale? No fucking way, dude."

Beca hummed thoughtfully, "Does she really have an EGOT? I didn't know she had a Grammy."

"That's what you're focusing on right now?! How do you even know her?" Jesse looked beside himself at the idea of his best friend dating the actress.

"I mean… I met her this one night about a month ago when Fat Amy stood me up," Beca explained. "We got tacos from La Cucaracha and then I showed her my studio."

Jesse shook his head, "I can't believe you eat at a place called The Cockroach. Disgusting."

Beca rolled her eyes, "That's what you're focusing on right now?"

Jesse flipped her off for using his words against him, scratching the back of his head.

"For the record, that place literally has the best tacos of my life," Beca argued, pointing a finger at him. "The owner is awesome and told me he chose that name because his restaurant would never die and with tacos like that it never fucking will, believe me."

"Insanity."

"Whatever, you don't know anything."

Jesse waved his hands in front of him, "Wait, stop distracting me. What does hanging out mean, exactly?"

Beca shrugged again. "No idea. I actually don't even know if it's still happening. We texted last week about getting dinner Tuesday, but I haven't heard from her since yesterday when she told me she landed at JFK."

"So wait… dinner is more than hanging out, dude," Jesse reasoned, shooting her a look. "If she asked you to dinner… that's a date."

"It's Tuesday, Jess… it's not a fucking date," Beca retorted, leaning back against the couch.

Jesse laughed, "Are you seriously saying it's not a date because of the day of the week? That's got nothing to do with it."

Beca scoffed, "Tuesday is like… for trivia, or volunteering at the soup kitchen, or helping your grandma get to bingo night. Tuesday is the least sexy night of the week."

"That's ridiculous," Jesse argued back. "Wednesday is obviously the lease sexy night of the week. It's so far from the weekend."

"Are you actually trying to prove that Hump Day is the least sexy day of the week?" Beca's amusement crept into her tone despite her best efforts. "Good luck with that."

"Fuck, I forgot about that… although the name has nothing to do with sex so technically…"

Beca cut him off, "Losing battle, dude."

Jesse sighed, slumping back in his chair and accepted defeat. "Well, you should at least text her to see if she's bailing on you."

Beca frowned, patting her pocket for her phone before realizing it wasn't there. After a quick search through all her pockets and her jacket, she got up and dug through her bag to find her phone buried at the bottom amongst her wallet, spare change, and a few sticks of gum.

"Shit she texted me this morning! She probably thinks I'm bailing on her," Beca mused, unlocking her phone and opening the message.

 _CB [10:48AM]: Still on for dinner tomorrow? How's 7?_

 _CB [11:53AM]: Hope the fact it's Tuesday isn't putting too much pressure on you. I promise it'll be low key_

Beca chuckled at the follow up text, wondering if she'll ever look at Tuesdays the same way after tomorrow.

 _Beca [8:12PM]: Tomorrow at 7 is great. I'll be fine as long as you swear it's low key. Where should I meet you?_

"So we're definitely on for tomorrow night," Beca said, collapsing back onto the couch.

Jesse asked, "Where are you meeting her?"

Beca opened her mouth to answer, pausing as her phone chimed with a new text.

 _CB [8:14PM]: How do you feel about staying in? I have a suite at the Michelangelo_

Beca froze, looking up at Jesse. "She invited me to her hotel."

 _CB [8:16PM]: That sounded bad. I'm just not up for dealing with the paps or people. I'm thinking pizza and beer and quiet_

Beca felt some of the awkwardness dissipate with that text, deciding to fall back on humor. She held up a finger to stop Jesse from interjecting as she typed out a quick reply.

 _Beca [8:18PM]: Sure Chlo. Try to play that off like it wasn't totally scandalous_

 _CB [8:19PM]: I know._

 _CB [8:20PM]: Though that's rich coming from the one who "just wanted to be alone with me" about five minutes after we met_

Beca felt the blush rise up her cheeks at the memory of that unfortunate phrase leaving her lips.

 _Beca [8:22PM]: Touché. Pizza and beer and quiet sounds perfect_

"Well?!" Jesse's exasperated and curious tone drew her attention away from her phone.

"I'm meeting her at her hotel tomorrow at seven," Beca said, refusing to indulge him when he winked at her.

"You've totally got a date with a movie star."

* * *

Beca stood nervously in front of the hotel room door, wondering if this was actually her life. She'd arrived in the hotel lobby a little early with a bottle of wine and a six-pack of her favorite beer, having insisted on supplying the alcohol if Chloe was buying the pizza. A large man spotted her immediately, escorting her to the elevator and up to her current position in front of Chloe's door before disappearing back down the hallway out of sight.

"Relax, it's not a date," Beca whispered to herself, taking a few deep breaths before knocking purposefully on the door.

It opened after a few seconds, the stunning redhead on the other side momentarily taking her breath away despite being casually dressed in jeans and a simple v-neck underneath a soft cardigan.

Chloe beamed at her. "Hey! Come on in," she stepped aside, letting Beca enter the suite before closing the door behind her. "Pizzas just got here a few minutes ago."

It wasn't long before they were comfortably seated on the large couch, open pizza box between them and a beer each sitting on the nearby coffee table. It all felt surprisingly normal, making Beca feel guilty at how nervous she'd been.

"Are you okay?"

Chloe's voice startled Beca from her thoughts, swallowing her bite of pizza and nodding in response.

"Yeah, I'm good, why?"

Chloe shrugged, "You literally hadn't said a word until just now. I know the pressure of a Tuesday is weighing on you…"

Beca chuckled as she trailed off, her voice playful and sarcastic. "Yeah, I'm trying to move past it, but it's proving more difficult than I thought."

Chloe laughed with her, a musical sound that made Beca's heart race. "Okay, I get it. Really though, thanks for coming here. I needed a quiet night in, but I also really wanted to see you."

"Oh dude, it's fine. I can imagine it gets pretty intense out there with your fans and all," Beca replied, reaching for her beer. "I mean, I remember how many people approached you in the bar… I imagine that gets old."

"It does," Chloe answered honestly. "But it's also tricky, because I do love my fans and their support means the world to me. I get really torn between supporting and getting to know them and wanting privacy and space."

Beca sipped her beer and placed it back on the coffee table, completely understanding how that could weigh on a person. "I don't know how you do it. I don't know if I could."

Chloe smiled at her. "It's a small price to pay for getting to do what I love. And you never know… you might get a taste of it when one of the songs you produce blows up."

"Nah, I'll be like Marshmello and hide my face," Beca shot back, "Except I'll stay anonymous forever."

"Good luck with that… fans are relentless. Sometimes it's better to give them the truth than let the rumors run wild," Chloe said, something in her voice making Beca take notice.

"Sounds like you're speaking from personal experience," Beca suggested, studying Chloe's face. "Anything you want to confess."

"Now that you mention it, there is something," Chloe said, turning a little serious. "I'm starting to regret asking you out on a Tuesday… the pressure is getting to me."

Beca laughed, rolling her eyes at the redhead's antics. "Well lucky for you there's no pressure at all. I do have a question for you, though."

Chloe raised her bottle in the air. "Ask away," she said, taking a sip.

"Well, I mean… this is a date, right?"

Chloe raised an eyebrow at her, setting the bottle back down. "I don't generally just invite anyone back to my hotel room, regardless of how innocent it may seem. Does that answer your question?"

Beca swallowed, feeling the nerves come back but not strongly enough to dissuade her from her real question. "I guess I'm just curious… why me? I mean, you probably have people lining up for a shot with you… and not that I''m complaining, but why me?"

Chloe leaned back into the cushion, studying her for a moment. "I suppose that's fair. Do you remember the night we met?"

Beca nodded, "Of course. It was one of the best nights of my life… which now that I've said it out loud feels kinda pathetic…"

Chloe laughed, interrupting her, "No! It's not at all because I feel the same way, Bec. Do you know how many people approach me and either can't form words, or remember their own name, or can't see past picturing me as whatever their favorite role of mine was? It's… well, it's really fucking awkward for starters, but it's lonely to never have people see me. The real me."

Beca let those words sink in, having no idea what that would feel like.

"You were so refreshing… I remember everything about that night because even though you recognized me and knew who I was, you treated me like a normal person. You were genuinely curious about me, not Chloe Beale the actress but Chloe the person. The girl from Florida who wanted to be a vet, who loves her family and her friends and would so much rather stay in and have pizza and beer over a meal at a fancy restaurant. Do you have any idea how much that meant to me?" Chloe was smiling lightly at her, seemingly waiting for Beca to figure it out.

"I'm guessing a lot?" Beca supplied, breaking into a small smile herself. "Honestly, I was nervous as hell at first, but you'd be surprised what you can get me to do after a few beers."

Chloe winked at her, "I'll keep that in mind."

Beca chuckled, nodding, "You do that. No, I mean, I wasn't planning to do anything other than say hi, but you're so beautiful and then that guy interrupted us and I guess I was just buzzed enough to do something crazy… well that seemed crazy at the time and now I'm really glad I did."

"Me too, Bec," Chloe's voice turned soft and vulnerable, bordering on shy.

Beca thought for a moment, eventually teasing, "So you only like me because I treat you like a regular person… I think you need to up your standards a bit."

Chloe grinned, "I mean, you're also sexy as hell. That didn't exactly hurt your chances."

"Oh, now I know you're lying," Beca replied, shaking her head. "I've never been sexy in my life."

Chloe not so subtly moved the pizza box from between them, placing it on the coffee table and slid easily across the couch.

"I'm gonna have to disagree with you there, Bec," Chloe murmured, her hand coming up to gently brush Beca's hair back from her face.

Beca felt her breath catch in her throat, whispering, "So this… this is actually a date then?"

Chloe smirked, "Hopefully the first of many. You okay with that?"

"Well, technically wouldn't this be our second…"

Beca barely registered Chloe leaning in to cut her off, her eyes closing at the feeling of soft lips pressing against her own before pulling back a fraction.

"I'm great with that."

* * *

 **A/N: As always, the biggest thanks for my amazing beta and friend Arsto! Couldn't do it without ya!**

 **Thanks to everyone else for your favs, follows, reviews, and suggestions!**


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